Here Comes The Sun
by human28
Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite. Dramione.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite. Dramione.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

"_Shortly we will be landing at Los Angeles International Airport. Please ensure that your seat is in the upright position, that you weigh less than a hundred pounds, and that you have excellent teeth." _

_- Prologue taken from the novel "Angels" by Marian Keys_

Chapter 1

It had been a long time since I had taken a ride on an airplane. The last time had been on a trip to Bangkok, Thailand with my family. That had been three years ago. Oh the tour was infinitely interesting, the journey, however, was not. In fact, it had been an absolute nightmare. I could still remember the scene like it was yesterday: a twenty-two year old daughter wedged in between her parents holding a barf bag to her mouth and looking an unimpressive shade of green. The flight attendant who had been quite dashing took one look at me and vanished to the other end of the aisle. Suffice to say, I vowed never to take another plane ride in my entire life.

But alas! My ever-so-kind boss had entailed me to travel to America for a job, thinking he was doing all his other employees a favor in sending a Muggle-born witch who knew exactly how to blend into the normal world. What else could a hard-working, responsible witch do but say yes? The added bonus to my salary made the decision a little easier. And the bottle of anti-emetics in my pocket. Ah, the wonders of Muggle medicine.

So here I was, standing in the middle of Los Angeles International Airport feeling rather – lost. My client was supposed to pick me up. And it had only occurred to me that I had no idea what he looked like. Nor did I even know his name. He had been quite adamant in keeping his identity a secret. Which was why I could not travel to him through magical means, much to my despair. Apparently, he was someone who preferred a low profile while he raked in a multitude of Galleons from his Wizarding enterprise.

I shifted on my feet, glancing around uncertainly. _He could be anyone of those dimwits. _I thought forlornly, watching families embrace kiddies and couples share one last passionate kiss before departure. _How the hell am I supposed to know which one he is? I could be standing here for hours!_

"Ms. Granger?"

_Oh, thank Merlin! _I turn around with a bright smile on my face, expecting to see a young, budding businessman (possibly handsome – a girl could dream) waiting to take her luggage. Instead, a middle-aged man with graying hair that suspiciously looked like a toupee was staring at her expectantly. He was dressed in a nondescript navy blue suit. He even had a cap on.

"Yes?" I said tentatively. "I apologize for not recognizing you Sir. They didn't exactly give me any specifics about my client."

The man chuckled, his forehead crinkling with amusement. "Goodness no, ma'am! My name is Henry and I'll be your chauffer for today. I'll be driving you off to the boss's office. The car's waiting outside. Are these all you have?" He gestured at the small trunk beside her.

I nodded, feeling oddly relieved. There was hope yet. I followed him outside and into the parking lot. I found myself squinting underneath the harsh glare of the California sun. It was definitely a far cry from Britain. I reminded myself to take a trip to the beach before returning to London. _Ginny would never forgive me if I return without a tan. _I thought wryly, thinking of the feisty redhead that had become one of my best friends.

"Oh. My. God. Hermione, I can't _believe _you're going to the States! I soooo envy you!" Ginny had squealed delightedly. She was an artist – a painter to be exact, which left her with a lot of free time on her hands but, unfortunately, with not too much money. "Lav went there a few months back, did you know that? I think she went to Spami. Or Mami. Or – crap, I keep forgetting the name…"

"It's Miami." I supplied helpfully.

"That's right! She went to Miami and she came back with all sorts of stories that you wouldn't _believe. _Beaches, parties, and bloody gorgeous male specimens that will make you drool on sight. Their tan is enough to make you _sweat._ I swear Hermione, if you come back here without a tan, I'm going to skin you alive."

Knowing Lavender Brown, I probably wouldn't have believed any of her stories. But now that I _was _here (not that this was Miami, but hey, it was still the same country), I could see for myself. Perhaps I could even get a little taste of American living.

An hour and forty-five minutes swept by and I found myself gazing out the window at the multitude of palm trees. I wondered where the 'boss's office' was located. I hoped it wouldn't be too far from where I shall be staying. Not that I had a problem with commuting. I _was _Muggle-born after all.

Pretty soon we came to a halt. I frowned. We were in a subdivision. An incredibly_ upscale _subdivision to be exact. The houses – _mansions, _to be more precise, lined the edges of the road, all of which were surrounded by wrought-iron fences and twelve-foot high gates. Their tiled rooftops glinted under the LA sun. The divider between passenger and driver rolled down to reveal Henry's smiling face. "We're here, Miss."

He helped me out of the car, carrying my miniscule trunk towards the gate. I briefly noticed the silver color of the gate and a tiny insignia of a dragon in the middle of it. I paid no attention to it, my eyes firmly locked on the enormous house waiting in front of me. The security guard exchanged a few words with Henry before allowing us in. He accompanied me all the way to the front door before leaving me alone on the porch.

I suddenly felt nervous.

What had I gotten myself into? I knew nothing about this man I was going to work for! Well, I did know a thing or two about his business (buying and refurbishing Muggle antiques and enchanting them to the witch or wizard's desire, or simply just selling them as is. I had seen more than a few of his pieces and mind you, they were quite beautiful things.) But other than that, I didn't even have a clue as to how old he was, if he was a maniac, or a psychopath, or _worse_, married with ten kids. Not that I had anything against children. In fact, I would love to have a few of my own. I just wouldn't want so many running around all the time, causing stains and stinks where stains and stinks shouldn't be.

_You're supposed to ring the doorbell idiot. _

Right. I pressed the small button by the door and stared at the wood paneling with a deep breath. A miniature dragon was carved onto the wood. It was breathing fire. _Dragon number two. _I counted in my head. I expected more to come. Some people had odd fixations. This I learned from growing up in the Wizarding world.

"Good afternoon." I said pleasantly when the door swung open to reveal – nothing?

Something poked at my knee. I shrieked. Then calmed down somewhat when I realized that it was nothing more than a little boy, a little boy with white-blonde hair and clear blue eyes. _Oh dear. My worst fears have come to take me away to my grave. _Carefully, I squatted down to his height so that we were eye-level. "Hi there. You don't happen to have any siblings, do you?"

Not exactly the first question you would ask upon entering the residence of your client. But I was desperate. He shook his head. "It's just me and Father." He said this with such aristocracy that I blinked three times. Yes. Three times.

"How old are you sweetie?"

"My name is Scorpius and I'm _four._"

Aristocracy _and _arrogance from a four year old. Who would have expected? My back began to ache from squatting. I stood up and straightened my clothes. "Is your father around Scorpius?" I asked, half-hoping that he wasn't. I was starting to feel the effects of jet lag and would have liked nothing more than to hit the sack and wake up at twelve noon the next day. But that, I knew, would be severely impossible.

"He's in his office. Who are _you_?"

"I'm Hermione Granger. I'll be working with your father for a while, is that alright?"

"What kind of work?" He asked suspiciously. "If it's the kind of work that doesn't involve talking, I think you should just leave."

I stared at him, appalled. _Who on earth was this boy's father? _

"I assure you Scorpius, that it involves a lot of talking. And a lot of boring paperwork too." I said gently, feeling strangely sorry for this motherless child who obviously had a man-whore as a father. I was happy to see him relax. He nodded once before ushering me inside.

I resisted the urge to gasp once I stepped into the foyer. The floor was marble. The staircase grand. A chandelier hung from above. It had the air of an old English manor. It almost made me feel like I was back in London and not in California where everything seemed to be covered in bright, glaring colors. Scorpius led me through an empty hallway lined with portraits of random landscapes. There were a few doors on either side of the walls. He did not stop until we reached the very end.

He knocked. "Father! There's someone here to see you!"

"Who is it, son?" _There goes the equally aristocratic tone of the father. _I thought dryly. But my curiosity had peaked.

"Someone from work."

"Let her in."

"Go on." Scorpius gave me a little push. I felt a tad bit silly, being led around by a four-year old. But you couldn't really blame me. He acted like he was thirty. Which was kind of sad, seeing as every kid should enjoy every millisecond of their youth. I waved at him and mouthed a small 'thank you'. He responded with nothing more than curt nod.

Without another moment's hesitation, I turned the doorknob and let myself in. Unlike the rest of the house, the office was highly modernized in shades of black, white and silver. There was a metal desk in the center, an end table made entirely of glass by the door, a black recliner, a plasma screen TV covering half of the wall, and a slim MacBook Pro on top of the desk. The windows were from floor to ceiling, shaded by white blinds. I had taken so much of my time looking around that I had almost forgotten that I was in the presence of my client.

"Make yourself at home, Granger."

And it was with that one line, with that utterance of my last name in a drawl so unmistakable that I put two and two together. The dragons, the blonde-haired boy with a man-whore for a father, the utmost protection of his identity…it was him. Damn it. Damn the whole fucking world. I was going to be working for Draco Malfoy.

Now I almost wished I had gotten the client with ten kids.

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A/N: What do you think? Shall I continue or not?


	2. Chapter 2

16:50

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: I see that a few had taken to reviewing, thank you so much. This next chapter is for you guys.

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 2

Upon seeing the bane of my Hogwarts existence, I could not resist the urge to pinch myself.

"You seriously did not just pinch yourself, Granger."

"I'm trying to wake up." I said numbly. "This is far too odd."

"And why," Draco raised an eyebrow. "Would this be odd?"

"You're Draco Malfoy."

"That I'm quite certain of."

"And you're living like a Muggle in America."

"Yes, I am."

"But you despise Muggles!" I blurted out before I could stop myself. I clapped a hand over my mouth, shocked at my sudden outburst. I had forgotten, during that short moment, that he was my client and that my job, the one that I work so hard on, was on the line.

Draco sighed. "That was eight years ago, Granger. As you can see," he gestured around him. "I've turned over a new leaf."

"I see." Was all I managed to muster.

"Have a seat."

I went slowly, my eyes darting around furtively, half-expecting some sort of dark creature to leap out and bite my neck. _That's absurd Hermione. You heard him. He's a changed man. Merlin. He'd been a changed man since the War. If it hadn't been for him, You-Know-Who might have won. _Which was true. His last minute switch to our side had granted us total access to Voldemort's whereabouts and underhanded plans.

"I know that I am not your favorite person in the world, but I wanted the finest Arithmancer that the Ministry of Magic had to offer, and they pointed me to you. Naturally, I just had to have the best. I would never settle for anything second rate."

_Did he just call me the best?_

"I'm sure that Mr. Finn had briefed you on my affairs?"

_Scorpius has briefed me on your _other _affairs._

"Yes. He has."

"Excellent. We can begin tomorrow morning then. Do you have any questions?"

I fidgeted. "Where will I work?"

Draco nodded towards a door at the side of his office, one that I had not seen upon my entrance. "This connects to a smaller office. Feel free to use it. It is equipped with everything you need. Other than that, you may work in the living room, or even in your room if you prefer. Anywhere is fine as long as you run things by me before making any final decisions."

"That sounds fine." I said tightly, feeling a sudden need to get out of this office. All I wanted to do now was run towards a hotel, check myself in, and have a good rant with Ginny. I could almost imagine it now…

_Me: I have something to tell you that you wouldn't _believe.

_Ginny: (squealing) You got laid by the hottest guy on earth?_

_Me: NO. I'm working for DRACO MALFOY._

_Ginny: (silence)_

_Seconds pass…_

_Ginny: (squealing again) Lav saw him that one time. Does he really have a six pack?_

_Me: (appalled) I don't know! And why on Merlin's grave would I care?_

_Ginny: Because (drops voice) _he _is bloody gorgeous. Don't tell my brother though. He'll rip me to shreds._

I blinked. It suddenly came to my knowledge that I had not taken a good look at Malfoy. So while he continued to chatter on about work schedules, I zoned out and zeroed in on his face. I blinked again. Surely this couldn't be Draco Malfoy? _He seems so different._

Oh the blonde hair was still there in all its shining glory, but his cheekbones had grown sharper, his chin more refined, his eyes an even lighter shade of grey. _Does he really have a six pack? _I wondered, my gaze trailing over his clothed abdomen.

"Granger," Draco stated impatiently. "Are you even listening to me?"

I was horrified. I was checking him out. Merlin forbid. "Um."

"Obviously not." Draco shook his head. "The maid will show you to your room. Dinner is at seven. Although you don't have to join us if you prefer to…space out for a while."

"Maid?" I echoed, letting the comment pass.

He smirked. "Yes, Granger. A maid. I don't think the people here would take too kindly with house elves running around."

"Ah."

I paused. Then I freaked. "I'll be sleeping _here_?"

He rolled his eyes. "Not _here, _here. In one of the spare guest rooms upstairs. It wouldn't make sense for you to check into a hotel now would it, seeing as you'll be spending most of your time working here anyway. Am I right?"

I shifted on my feet.

The smirk was back. "No need to feel uneasy, Granger. I won't murder you in your sleep."

I scowled. The nerve of him! I would never! Well, maybe I would, but he didn't need to know that. "I'm quite comfortable with the arrangements, thank you." I nodded stiffly at him. "If that will be all, I'd best go freshen up if I want to join you for dinner."

_I will not let him get to me. I am HERMIONE GRANGER. I am a BRAVE SOUL. I can HANDLE sleeping in the dragon's den._

However, as I rounded the corner of the hallway with the maid and followed her upstairs, I happened upon an old portrait of an unmoving Lucius Malfoy and his wife: Narcissa. They were hanging a few feet from the *gasp* guest bedroom.

_Or maybe not._

_

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A/N: Any thoughts?


	3. Chapter 3

16:50

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Thank you to all those who had taken their time to review.

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 3

7 came all too quickly and soon it was time for me to descend the grand staircase and try to locate the dining room all by myself. I could have rung the maid, yes, but I did not want to give Malfoy the satisfaction of appearing frightened in his own house. Not that there was a reason to be frightened. Not that I _was_ frightened.

The second landing of the house had approximately five rooms. Three of which were guestrooms. Two belonged to either Malfoy or Malfoy Jr. Not that I was interested or anything. I happened upon a few more portraits of Lucius & Narcissa. It helped that the paintings did not move. Else I would have insisted on checking into a hotel. There was something about Lucius Malfoy that simply disturbed me. I hurried past the portraits not wanting to be late to dinner, but one in particular caught my eye.

It was still of the two Malfoy matriarchs. What made it different from all the others was the picture of a young Draco Malfoy sitting ramrod straight on a stool in between them. I was stricken by his incredible resemblance to Scorpius. Perhaps the only thing that differed between the two were the eyes. Draco's were a steely grey whereas Scorpius's was an icy blue.

"He looks like me, doesn't he?"

I jumped out of my skin.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to scare you."

Placing a hand over my beating heart, I turned to see Scorpius looking up at me without much regret. I wondered who his mother was. _Whose eyes do you have Scorpius? _I wanted to ask him. But I feared that the answer might be: _I don't know. _Or worse_: We're not sure._

"What are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be having dinner by now?" I realized that it was ten past seven. I had spent too much time wandering the hallways staring at portraits of dead people. I shuddered inwardly.

"Father sent me to find you."

Of course he did.

I followed him downstairs to the dining area. Draco had already taken a seat at the head of the table. I noted with some surprise that he had not begun eating. Surely he had not waited for me? Scorpius took a seat at his right, which left me nowhere else to sit but at his left. Much to near for my taste. _This is where the wife would have taken her seat. _I thought uncomfortably. _Whoever she is. _

Despite my fears, my stomach was in dire need of sustenance. The food was delectable. Silence permeated the dining room. I peeked in front of me and saw Scorpius watching me curiously. I wondered if Draco was doing the same. But he was concentrating on his meal.

Me, being used to a room full of Weasleys during dinnertime or co-workers bantering over meals, suddenly felt the need to break the silence. "So…how long have you been staying here?" I asked casually, a part of me curious about his current life.

"A while."

"Ah."

Silence.

"Why…here?"

"Why not?"

"It almost seems like your distancing yourself from the Wizarding world."

"My business _caters_ to the Wizarding world."

"And Muggles."

"_And _Muggles. Like I've mentioned, I've turned over a new leaf."

"Why?"

"You have a lot of questions, don't you Granger? You haven't changed one bit." He smirked.

I glared at him. I have changed! I've changed a _lot, _thank you. I've had my hair straightened, I've gotten taller, my clothes fit me better (thanks to Ginny's unabashed criticism), and I am the best, take note of that, the _best _Arithmancer in London! Beat that!

I couldn't say that, however, since I am not incredibly full of myself unlike _some _people. "What makes you say that?"

"You're being curious as usual, which, I suppose, is expected from the brightest witch in our class. I can imagine your brain going on overdrive with all the unanswered questions in your head." His eyes sparkled. "I wouldn't be surprised if it explodes."

"Curiosity is a passion." I defended.

"_Curiosity _killed the cat." He replied. "Or should I say, the Gryffindor lion." And then he grinned. I was momentarily blinded with the unending amount of white. It struck me that I have not seen him smile…ever. Strangely enough, it appeared to be a genuine one. _Eight years is indeed a long time. _

"Ha, ha. Very funny." I said, flustered.

"What's a Gryffindor lion?" Scorpius asked, his face scrunched up like most kids do when they encounter something new.

"It's a -- " I began, but Draco cut me off. "It's nothing. You'll understand when you're older."

Scorpius nodded. He swallowed the last of his mashed potatoes and then looked up hopefully at his father. "May I be excused?"

"You may, son."

He sprinted off to play. At least, that's what I assumed him to do. Unless miniature Malfoys were not allowed to play and were, instead, taught the elementary forms of Dark Magic. I shuddered at the thought. _You're overreacting Hermione. _

"I presume you haven't told him about Hogwarts." I said, trying to suppress my astonishment. If I had a child, his first gift would be _Hogwarts: A History. _Because there was truly no more magical place in the world. And I couldn't understand why someone would want to keep something like that from their kids.

"I'm not sending him to Hogwarts." Draco stated flatly. He sipped his glass of water. "And you are not to mention it to him at any cost."

"Why not?" I asked, feeling slightly offended at the fact that I could not talk about the one place that had given me so, so much.

"Because if he found out that I went there, he'd want to go there as well."

"What's wrong with Hogwarts?" Anger was bubbling inside of me. To insult Hogwarts was…well, you could consider it the greatest insult.

"_Everything._" He snapped and stood abruptly. "Remember, Granger. You work for _me. _And you will do as I tell you. That includes staying out of matters that does not concern you." And then he left the room, leaving me to gape after him in semi-shock.

_Oh dear, I hope I won't get fired._

_

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A/N: Review please.


	4. Chapter 4

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Only two people reviewed. :( Thank you guys. This one's for you.

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 4

I woke up the next morning with a gasp. _Where am I? _I blearily scanned my surroundings. Peach wallpaper, white lampshade, mini-fridge, plasma-screen TV. I sat up straight. Muggle furniture. And then I remembered. I was in Los Angeles. _Right. _Despite the fact that I was 100% Muggle-born, I could not help but feel a little culture-shocked. You couldn't really blame me. I'd spent a good five years living in Ottery St. Catchpole (yes, I lived near the Burrow, much to Ginny's delight) with minimal vacations to my parents' home.

I slowly pulled myself out of the bed, remembering snippets of last night's events. I was no longer so eager (not that I _was _eager to begin with) to be working with Draco Malfoy anymore, considering his hostile treatment several hours ago. I admit I was sticking my nose where it didn't belong, but I was Hermione Granger! I was a sucker for the 'right thing'. And not telling your child about Hogwarts was what I considered to be the 'wrong thing'.

But I didn't want to lose my job, which was I found myself slipping quietly into 'my office' half an hour later, hoping that he wouldn't see me. (He was sitting at his desk, with his back to the door.) I thought it was quite unfortunate that 'my office' did not have an external door. I had to enter his office in order to reach mine.

I accuse bad luck for the next thing that happened: I bumped into the bookshelf.

I was too busy watching him that I didn't see that damned thing. Did he hear me? Of course he did. A number of obscenities had escaped my mouth as well. I clapped a hand over it, cursing myself for being so clumsy. _Great, this is just fucking great._

"I see you've expanded your vocabulary." Draco noted with an eyebrow raised. I checked his face carefully for any sign of irritation. There was none. In fact, if I could see clearly, there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." I muttered shame-faced. It was all my co-workers' fault. They swore all the time. Every. Fucking. Minute. Of. The. Day. Apparently, swearing was contagious. After five years, I had mastered the art of swearing and was still trying to control it.

"Just as long as you don't do it in front of my son."

Ah yes, the ever-so aristocratic Scorpius Malfoy. How atrocious it would be if he swore.

"Yes sir." I inwardly cringed. This is insane. I'm calling my former arch-nemesis sir. What has the world gone to? Ron would laugh in my face if he heard me now. Although I doubt he would have much of a problem with Slytherins anymore seeing as he was dating one.

Draco's lips twitched. "I think we could make do without the formalities, Granger. Seeing as we've known each other before. But you if you prefer otherwise, then be my guest."

_Would it be alright if I called you Ferret-face then? _

"As you wish Malfoy."

"I think Draco would suffice – _Hermione._"

I stiffened, waiting for a catch. But there was none. Well now, that was obviously a first. It was definitely a far cry from filthy Mudblood. I decided to take it. "Very well, Draco. Are all necessary information already in my office?"

"You'll find them all in the laptop. You can take your break anytime you want. Just make sure you finish this week's proceedings by today." Draco went back to his work. I took that as a dismissal. I shut the door behind my office with a click, before sinking into the plush white chair behind my desk. A MacBook Air was sitting in the middle of the desk as well as a glass of water, a ballpoint pen, and some pieces of paper.

I sighed. Time to work.

_Five hours later…_

_BUZZ! _

I glanced from my paperwork to see an IM flashing on my computer screen.

**Fieryred: **mione! how's LA living?

**Hgranger: **ginny? is that you?

**Fieryred: **no, it's arthur. of course it's me!

**Hgranger: **when did you get a laptop?

**Fieryred: **harry taught me how. they told me i couldn't write to you through owl post.

**Hgranger: **boss is big on keeping his identity secret.

**Fieryred: **you'll tell me though right?

**Hgranger: **don't think i can. sorry. how are things there?

**Fieryred: **boring. ron keeps on bringing pansy over to shag. its kind of getting on my nerves. and harry's dating luna.

**Hgranger: **WHAT?!

**Fieryred: **crazy, huh? it gets crazier. blaise zabini asked me out.

**Hgranger: **oh wow. you said no, right?

**Fieryred: **are you kidding me? have you SEEN him lately? he is soooooo bloody hot.

Three repetitive knocks echoed on my door.

**Hgranger: **good for you. i'm kind of in the middle of work. we'll talk later.

_Hgranger has signed out. _

I pulled open the document I had been working on earlier and tried to look busy. "Come in." I called out. "Yes?"

Draco was looking at me funny.

"What?"

"You haven't gone out in the past five hours."

I blinked. Was that a problem? "I got caught up with work. Is anything wrong?"

"Not at all. It's been a while since I've seen anyone work this hard."

"Ah."

He picked up one of the documents on my desk and let out a small whistle. "You're practically done."

"I like to finish as much as possible."

"Well, I'm going out for lunch. You could take the rest of the day off. You're free to use any of the cars in the garage. I trust you know how to drive?"

"Um, yes, thank you."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're welcome. You should go to the beach. You're looking a little pale, _Hermione._" He smirked and left.

I stared after him in disbelief. THE NERVE! Huffing, I fixed my desk before tromping up to my room and rummaging through my suitcase. I realized that I had not brought any piece of clothing suitable for the beach. I could almost hear Ginny screaming in my ear: _time to go shoppppppping! _

_Fine. _I thought, resigned. Since I was so _pale _and all.

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A/N: Shall I continue?


	5. Chapter 5

16:50

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 5

With the help of the maid, whose name I discovered was Annabelle, I was able to locate the garage. Annabelle flicked on a couple of switches, gestured to a drawer by the door where all the keys were kept, pointed to a button that opened the garage doors and left. I stood there for a couple of minutes taking in the sight that greeted my uncultivated eyes. I counted 7 cars in total. However, I deduced that there were 8, judging from the empty spot in the middle. Draco must have taken that one out.

I approached the simplest one out of all them. A silver Audi. I pulled open the drawer by the door and read the labels on the keys before finding the right one. I pushed the button by the garage door and watched them slide open, welcoming the broad daylight.

Taking a deep breath, I started the car and went out into the streets of LA. Muttering a simple direction charm under my breath, I was able to pinpoint the location of the nearest mall. I wove through the road carefully. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life paying off damages to a car that was probably worth more than my entire house.

After selecting a parking space, I went into the first boutique that had bathing suits on display. I surveyed the racks of bathing suits, happy that I had entered an average boutique with affordable prices. A bubbly salesgirl materialized out of nowhere. "How may I help you today, ma'am?"

_I'm looking for something that doesn't show so much skin? _I asked in my head, feeling depressed at the absolute lack of clothing on display. Even my underwear covered more skin than these…these things.

"We have bikinis, monokinis, and tankinis if you're looking to hide that extra fat."

I inwardly gasped. Were my extra fat that obvious? I was saved from replying by the incessant ringing of my mobile phone. I forced a smile at the salesgirl. "Excuse me for a moment. Hello?"

It was Ginny. Again. Apparently, she had bought a mobile as well. It was evident that she was bored out of her wits back in London. "_MIONE!" _She shrieked.

"Ow Gin, you don't have to yell. I can hear you perfectly."

_"Oh sorry. So, are you done with work?"_

"Sort of. I'm taking a break. I'm at the mall."

_"Shopping?"_

"For bathing suits."

_"You are not to buy a one-piece, Hermione Granger."_

"But everything here is so incredibly skimpy! I would feel like a whore."

_"You would feel even worse walking around the beach of LA in a one-piece. That would be beyond humiliating."_

"But I have -- "I lowered my voice. " – extra _fats._"

_"No you don't! Oh puh-leeze Hermione. Curves are good."_

"FINE. Fine. I'll look for one, I promise."

_"Good. Oh, Blaise is here. I've got to go. Call me!"_

"Will do."

Clearing my throat, I approached the salesgirl with an uneasy smile. "I'll try a few."

She beamed and began grabbing random pieces from the rack. She then lead me towards the dressing rooms near the back of the store where she shoved me and everything else into the minuscule cubicle. The door closed shut behind me, leaving me alone with my haggard reflection staring back at me. There were still traces of jet lag on my face. I made a plan to leave the beach early in order to acquire some much needed shut-eye.

_Let's get this over with. _I thought resignedly, shedding my clothes slowly and putting on the first piece. It was a two piece. And it was two sizes too small. My butt cheeks were practically falling out from behind me. I cringed and hurriedly removed them. The next one was a monokini. It fit well, but there was something about the style made me uncomfortable. I grabbed the last of the bunch: an olive green two piece with halter strings. Surprise, surprise, it was a perfect fit.

"I do not have extra fat." I mumbled to myself, patting my stomach. It was flat. _But that's because you haven't eaten lunch yet. _I decided to head to the beach first before eating lunch. I paid for my purchase and asked for directions to the nearest beach. It appeared that I wasn't too far off.

Ten minutes later, I was strolling through white sand and half-naked bodies. I selected a spot as far away from three giggling girls that had Victoria's Angels' bodies and laid my beach towel neatly on the sand. With a furtive glance around me, I removed my clothes and consciously lied down on my tummy. The sun felt _glorious _on my virgin skin. I wondered how long it would take to get a suitable tan.

I was finally beginning to enjoy myself when my mobile phone went off. With a grumble of distaste, I pulled out my Blackberry from my bag and frowned at the name flashing on the screen: _Draco Malfoy. _

_Oh Merlin. What now?_

"Draco?"

_"Gra – Hermione. Where are you? A meeting has come up. I need your assistance ASAP."_

"I'm at the beach."

_"Which one?"_ There was exasperation in his tone.

I gave him the directions.

_"Wait for me there."_

"But I don't have anything to wear!"

_"I know. I took the liberty to pick up some things for you."_ I could practically hear the _smirk _in his voice.

And the line went dead.

With a sigh, I began to pack up my things. I pulled on my sundress and tried to brush out the sand from my hair. I went to wait for him in the parking lot. I decided to leave my bag in the Audi, _since he _obviously _took the liberty of 'picking up' some things for me. _

A horn honked somewhere to my right. I was about to give the guy a finger when I saw that it was him: the devil's spawn looking positively sinful behind the wheel of his Jaguar in an Armani suit and aviator shades.

I sighed. I was in such deep shit. Here I was dressed in a bikini underneath my dress and I was thinking inappropriate thoughts about my 'boss'. There was no denying it anymore. Draco Malfoy was gorgeous. I was working for him. He had a four-year old son who knew more manners than Ron Weasley did. And there was nothing I could do about it.

"Looking better already." He greeted me as I slid into the seat beside him.

_This was going to be a loooooong day._

_

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__  
_A/N: Please review! They inspire me. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Sorry about the long wait. Here's the next one.

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 6

"Where are we going?"

We were driving for more than an hour already. I was no longer familiar with my surroundings. Gone were the palm trees, gone were the big mansions with bluer than blue pools, and gone were the half-naked women in bikinis. Speaking of which, Draco still hadn't given me the 'things he had picked up'.

"Look, I know this isn't part of your job -- "

I cut him off. "This isn't illegal, now is it?"

"No. It's perfectly legal."

I relaxed.

"But we're dealing with – dangerous people."

My snapped towards his direction. "_WHAT?!" _

"The mafia." He stated calmly.

Scenes from _The Godfather _were suddenly flashing through my mind, with Vito Corleone sneering at me before my imminent death. "Are you kidding me? There is no way I am engaging in something like this. I'll keep my life, thank you very much."

"This deal could do wonders for my company, _Hermione._" He stressed. "And it's just furniture, for Merlin's sake. It's not like we're dealing drugs."

"Then what on earth do you need _me _for?" I practically screeched.

"They're less likely to cause harm if I'm with a woman."

"Can you please tell me," I spoke through gritted teeth. "_why _they would want to cause harm to someone who sells _bloody furniture._"

Draco rolled his eyes. "I made a mistake in the past."

"Let me guess, you slept with the boss's daughter and now they're out for your blood."

He burst out laughing. "You have a very big imagination. Actually, it's not so dramatic as that. I sold them a piece that I had enchanted to look like its original. They found out, for some reason. They've got the money to do a very thorough examination."

My eyes bulged out of their sockets. "They found out it was enchanted?"

Draco shot me a look of frustration. "Of course not! They found out it wasn't the original."

"Then why would they still want to do business with you?"

"Because I convinced them that I had no idea that it was a fake – that I bought it from a dealer in Morocco. I claimed that I was cheated as well."

"Slytherin to the core." I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" I chirped. "I still don't understand why you need me here."

"Well, they did sort of threaten me."

"_WHAT?!" _

"You've been saying that a lot lately, haven't you?"

"ANSWER MY QUESTION YOU -- "

Draco raised a finger at me, a smirk tugging at his lips. "You don't want to finish that unless you want to get fired." He warned.

_ASSHOLE._

"Can you please answer my question, _Draco_?" I restated sweetly.

"They told me that if I ever cheated them again, they would kill me." He said this in such a manner that it would seem like he was talking about the weather if one had not been listening closely. "It didn't matter that _I _was 'cheated' as well. They accused me of not doing a more thorough examination on the piece."

"So we could be walking to our deaths here." I said faintly.

"No." Draco said as he came to a halt in front of a dilapidated building with red brick walls. The neighborhood was oddly quiet. "Because I'm giving them the best there is. You're just a safety net, Hermione. No need to feel so scared. Or have you forgotten that you're a witch?"

_Right. I could just Avada Kedavra them all to smithereens. _

For some reason that didn't make me feel any better.

…

"Should I even ask why you picked such a ridiculously short skirt?"

I had changed (via magic) in his car five minutes ago and now we were walking up the stairs behind anincredibly huge man that reminded me of Luca Brasi -- yet another character from _The Godfather_. My dad was a huge fan of the movie which made me quite familiar with the film. He used to quote lines from the movie all the time. For example: _"I'll make you an offer you can't refuse." _And then he relinquishes from his briefcase my favorite bagels from down the street.

"I didn't know your size." Draco drawled.

We were ushered into an empty conference room. The curtains were drawn and the lighting was dim. The room smelled of cigar smoke and whiskey. I wrinkled my nose at the odor. We sat next to each other at one end of the table, facing the door.

Several seconds later, the door flung open to reveal three figures dressed in suits. The shortest of the three greeted Draco by his first name and (to my absolute horror) kissed me on both cheeks. It took all of my willpower not to wipe my face with my hands.

"I presume this is your wife?"

"NO!" We both exclaimed at the same time.

"This is my assistant, Hermione." Draco introduced.

"What a lovely name."

I fidgeted under his gaze. It was disconcerting to have a man twice your age with less hair than a newborn squint at you like you were a trophy. I suddenly felt the need to take a long, cold shower. _I'm going to burn this skirt. Draco be damned._

"So…shall we get down to business?"

Draco snapped open his briefcase and pulled out a – gun holster. _Furniture my ass. _I thought, scowling inwardly. Although, I had to admit. It was beautiful. Next, he pulled out a cigar case that could fit a dozen Cubans. I didn't know much about these things, but I could tell that they were expensive. They began to discuss the prices and then the terms of payment. Mob guy then signed some papers and then it was all over.

He sent one of his younger cronies to escort us outside since he needed the Luca Brasi look-alike for something. It wouldn't take a genius to know what. I was only to happy to walk down the stairs and out into the daylight.

However, the lackey had other things in my mind. "You've got a nice ass, sweet cheeks." He said somewhere behind me. Everything happened all too quickly then. The next thing I knew, I was staring in astonishment at the lackey whose hand was caught in Draco's vise-like grip inches away from my behind.

"Business is over." Draco hissed before releasing him. The lackey nodded mutely before disappearing back into the building. I blinked. _My knight in shining armor. _I thought with some disbelief as I followed him into his car. _Or should I say, my knight in shining Armani._

"Thanks."

"No problem." He responded, his trademark smirk back in place. "You should burn that skirt. It _is _a bit small."

_My thoughts exactly._

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A/N: I would love to hear from you.


	7. Chapter 7

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: So here is a longer chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 7

Draco announced the following morning that he had to fly to Washington for a pick-up and that he will be gone for three days. No, he didn't need my assistance, and yes, I was free to do whatever I wished during those three days, just as long as I finish my work on time. He did, however, have a favor to ask me.

"Would you mind watching Scorpius while I'm gone? I don't really trust anyone else to look after him."

It was nice hearing that he trusted me with his one and only son and I was more than happy to oblige. It wasn't only after Draco had truly left the house that the maids found the time to warn me: BEWARE OF SCORPIUS MALFOY.

I laughed at them. Scorpius was the politest four-year old I have ever met in my entire life. Surely they weren't serious? But no, they were dead serious. They had seen a good number of babysitters run screaming from Scorpius's room demanding never to return. They never did find out what went on behind the closed doors. And no, they didn't _even want _to know. Did Draco know about this? I asked. No, he didn't. Because by the time he arrived home, Scorpius would be the perfect little angel and none of the maids had the courage to tell him about the babysitters for fear that Scorpius will seek vengeance upon them.

Doubtful. I shook my head. _I'll just have to see for myself, now won't I?_

So Day 1 with Scorpius Malfoy began.

I went up to his bedroom and knocked on the door. Annabelle who was sweeping the floor at the other end of the corridor mouthed at me: 'Good luck.' I nodded, still disbelieving everything they had said. "Come in!" Scorpius called out from the other side of the door.

I went in. His room was that of an average four-year old: filled with toys and all the latest computer games. The walls were a deep blue with pictures of airplanes on them. The man of the hour was sitting in front of the plasma screen TV, playing a game of _Tekken. _

"Hey there."

"Father sent you to babysit me." He said without looking away from the screen.

"Yes, he did."

"You can close the door now."

I did as I was told, feeling silly for having a 4 year old boss me around. I sat down beside him. I noticed that there were a lot of toy airplanes strewn across the floor. "You like airplanes?" Scorpius hit the pause button and turned to look at me.

"Yes." He stated primly. "I like flying."

I found it odd. Wouldn't Draco Malfoy's son be more interested in brooms? If I could recall, Draco had been one hell of Seeker during our days in Hogwarts. Of course, he could never top Harry Potter. But he was good. Not that I noticed, or anything.

"You haven't been on a broom have you?" I asked with a careful smile. I reminded myself that I mustn't bring up Hogwarts if I wanted to keep my job.

Scorpius was looking at me like I had lost my mind. "Brooms are for _cleaning._"

_Uh-oh._

I felt another wave of anger rush through me. Seriously? Draco hasn't told his son about _Quidditch? _He'd rather have his son obsess over airplanes, a Muggle vehicle, than the wonders of flying on a broomstick? It was too – strange.

I swallowed. _You love your job Hermione. _I told myself. "Of course. I was just teasing."

"I don't like to be teased." Scorpius said with a scowl. "But _I _could make you fly."

And suddenly, I was overcome with the most baffling feeling – like had instantly become weightless. _Wow. I'm levitating. _I thought with awe. I was hovering two feet off the floor. _This kid is gifted. _I stared at Scorpius who had a smug expression on his face. Rarely do you see kids as young as four exhibit this kind of wandless magic and with such an overwhelming sense of control too. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I let out a shout of astonishment when he dropped me – on my ass.

"_Ow!" _

I looked up to see him standing over me with a raised eyebrow. "You can run now."

I glared at him. "And why would I do that?"

Confusion clouded his features. "You mean – you aren't…scared?"

"Scared of what?"

"Of me."

"Why would I be scared of you? You're four years old, sweetie. And I'm taller."

"Most of my babysitters would run screaming."

_Ah. So this explains it. _"You did this to all of them?"

Scorpius shook his head. "Sometimes their hair would catch fire."

My eyes went wide. _Thank Merlin that didn't happen to me. _I took his hand in mine and looked him in the eye. I half-expected him to pull away, but he didn't. Perhaps he was intrigued by the fact that I was still here. "Can I ask you something, Scorpius?"

He nodded silently.

"Do you think about what you want to happen or do they just – happen?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't."

"Care to elaborate?"

He sighed. A long, heavy sigh that should only be done by forty-year-olds experiencing mid-life crisis. "There are times when I really, really want something to happen – like making you float, and they happen. And sometimes, when I'm mad, things that I don't even think about happen."

"Like?"

He bit his lip. "I don't want to get into trouble."

He looked so sad that I wanted to hug him. "You can tell me, sweetie."

"Well, one time my father promised to take me to the zoo. But then he forgot. When he went into his office, the vase beside me exploded."

"He didn't see it, did he?"

"No. He hasn't seen anything that I've done."

_Interesting. _

"Have you seen your father do anything – peculiar?"

His face scrunched up. "No. I don't want to tell him. He might send me away. You're not going to tell him, are you? I'll put your hair on fire if you do."

I sighed. I was once again caught between doing the 'right thing' as opposed to doing the 'wrong thing'. The inner goody-two-shoes in me, however, won. It wasn't like I was breaking any promises to Draco anyway. He ordered me not to speak about Hogwarts. He never told me I couldn't talk about magic. _Merlin. He never even told me that his son doesn't know anything about it. Honestly, what was wrong with that man?_

"I won't tell him if you promise not tell him my secret too."

"What secret?"

"I want to show you something. But you have to promise not to tell_ anyone._"

By now, I had his full, undivided attention. "I promise." He whispered.

I nodded before pulling out my wand. "This," I showed to him. "Is my wand."

"It's a stick." He said flatly, sounding unconvinced.

I wagged a finger at him. "Not just any stick. _Wingardium Leviosa._" The nearest toy airplane began to float. I twirled my wand around. The plane began to circle the young four year old. He watched it in awe.

"Wow. You're the best babysitter ever."

_I try. _I thought smugly.

_Draco Malfoy. You and I are going to have a long talk when you get home. _

…

Day 2 of Draco's absence allowed me to finish everything under seven grueling hours. Which wasn't so bad compared to my usual work hours at the Ministry. Scorpius had transformed before my eyes. His arrogance was somehow diminished and in its place was curiosity and a thirst for magic. He bombarded me with questions about spells and charms. I answered them with great care, reminding myself every now and then of Draco's imminent hostility towards me. I decided that this was a risk worth taking. Scorpius was special. He was _gifted._

However, there was one question that I had been dreading.

"How come my father can't do magic?"

I froze.

I had formulated a dozen reasons why Draco had not told Scorpius as single damned thing about the Wizarding World. One: They were living among Muggles and didn't trust a four year old to keep a secret. Two: That thing about Hogwarts. Three: Scorpius's mother was a Muggle and Draco presumed that Scorpius was a Squib. Or four: Draco wanted to distance himself from the Wizarding World because of his dark past.

Number two was questionable seeing as it was rather vague. Number three was highly unlikely considering that some kids didn't show any signs of magic until they were ten or eleven. This left me with one and four.

Of course, I couldn't tell Scorpius _that._

"You'll have to ask him." I said slowly.

He frowned. "He'll think I'm crazy."

"You're _four._ You're allowed to have crazy thoughts." I pointed out. Which made sense.

"I don't think I can do that."

"Tell you what. I'll do it for you."

His baby blues lit up. "Really?"

"Yes." I gulped. What on earth was I getting myself into?

_That includes staying out of matters that doesn't concern you. _

Draco's furious voice echoed in my head.

_But this is important! And he _did _tell you too look after Scorpius while he was away. _

The battling voices in my mind was beginning to give me a headache. "I'll tell him the first thing when he arrives. Right now, I need some sleep. Good night Scorpius."

"Good night Hermione."

…

Day 3 of Draco's absence was my day off. I managed to convince Scorpius to stay with Annabelle while I was away. He promised to be a good boy after some minor threats. I left a frightened Annabelle with Scorpius while I went to the beach.

_Finally, I can relax._

I took out a copy of _Cosmopolitan _from my bag (it was Annabelle's) and flipped open. I grimaced at the articles in the magazine. _Ten Ways To Please Your Man, How To Get The Perfect Figure, etc. _I chastised myself for not bringing any books from home.

"Hey there."

I looked up, startled. A guy with dark brown hair and the most incredible abs was smiling at me. I felt the sudden urge to turn around and check if there was someone else behind me because this _Adonis _surely could not be talking to someone like _me. _

"Um, hi."

"Mind if I take this spot beside you?" He gestured to the empty space beside me.

"Not at all." I croaked. I laid the _Cosmo _on my stomach, hopefully covering any 'extra fats'.

"I haven't seen you here before." He commented as he spread himself onto the towel beside mine. I tried not to drool at the sight of his perfectly tanned body. _He must work out a lot. _I mused, noting the way his muscles rippled whenever he made the slightest of movements. "First time in this beach?"

"First time in LA." I said, wanting to destroy the butterflies in my stomach.

"I can't help but notice the accent. British?"

"Yes I am."

"I'm Liam."

"Hermione."

"Interesting name. So what do you do Hermione?"

_Oh shit. _"I work at the – bank. Yes, that's it. A bank in London. I'm currently on holiday – staying at a friend's. You?"

"I'm a model."

Well that explained everything.

My phone began to ring: _Draco Malfoy calling! _

"Will you excuse me for a moment?" I said sweetly, wanting to kill Draco now and then. "Hello?"

"Hermione. Just checking up on you. How's Scorpius?"

"Scorpius is doing what most four year's olds do. He's fine, Draco. You don't have to worry about him."

"Great. So there's been a slight change of plans. I'll be home later tonight. I'll see you then."

"Alright. See you at the house."

I ended the call. Liam was watching me. "Husband?"

I gaped at him, realizing what the call might have sounded. "What? No! He's just a friend."

"So…no boyfriend?" He was making me melt, gazing at me with those ridiculously green eyes. I haven't been on a date in a long, long time. So sue me.

I shook my head mutely.

He flashed me a killer smile.

"Do you want to have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

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A/N: REVIEW PLEASE! I want to know what you think.


	8. Chapter 8

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: I'm on a roll! Thanks to your reviews! :D

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 8

It wasn't difficult to discover Draco's arrival.

"_Charles! My luggage please!" _

Ah yes. The master of the house has arrived. Charles was Draco's private chauffeur, available only when he didn't feel like driving. _Spoiled brat. _I couldn't help thinking as I changed in my bedroom. Footsteps pounded down the hallway. They screeched to a halt in front of my door. This was followed by a series of soft knocks. Brushing the last knotted strands of my freshly-shampooed hair, I pulled open the door. Scorpius was waiting for me expectantly.

"He's _here._" He said in a stage whisper.

"I'll talk to him after dinner." I promised following him down the stairs and into the dining area. I couldn't help feeling déjà vu. It was like my first night at the house. Of course, by now, I managed to walk past Lucius Malfoy's portrait without much discomfort. Draco was already seated in his usual chair.

Dinner was spent talking about Draco's new furniture and the work that I had accomplished in the past three days. Scorpius was silent throughout the entire meal. I could tell that he was nervous. I would be too, had I been in his position.

"A friend of mine will be coming over tomorrow night. He'll be staying for a few days with his girlfriend." Draco informed me. "I was thinking of having dinner out. You'll come, of course."

Liam flashed in my mind. "Erm. I can't."

Draco paused mid-bite. "Why not?"

"I have a, ehem,"

"Spit it out Granger."

"Ihaveadate."

Draco was staring at me as if I had suddenly grown two antlers. "With _who_?"

I glared at him. "Why is it so difficult to believe?"

"I was merely asking Granger."

"Oh so we're back to calling each other by our last names?" I had no idea why this irked me so.

"My apologies, _Hermione. _Now will you care to share with me who this bloody bloke is?"

"His name is _Liam._"

"Muggle?"

"Yes."

"Ah. I thought it would be Weasley. Because I would not tolerate his presence at my dinner." Draco commenced his eating.

I did not know whether to feel annoyed by the fact that he would assume that I would date Ron, or the fact that he would assume that I would be going to his dinner with my _date._ It wouldn't be much of a date now would it? With him hovering around with his predictably Slytherin friend and Slytherin friend's girlfriend.

My answer wasn't very helpful in the least: "For your information Ron is dating Pansy Parkinson."

Draco choked on his food.

I couldn't help but feel satisfied.

"Well that _is _news. However, I would have been pleased not to have heard that. You can bring _Liam _over to dinner."

I sighed. _You love your job. You love your job. You love your job. _Mantra, mantra, mantra. "Fine."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I am in dire need of some rest." Draco wiped his mouth with a napkin before preparing to leave. Scorpius shot me a pleading glance. I automatically stood up. Draco gazed at me questioningly. "Yes?"

"I need to talk to you. In private."

…

Draco led me down a dimly-lit corridor (one that I had never seen before) and into a room swathed in complete darkness. For reasons unknown, I began to feel the tiniest bit nervous. _Again with the overreactions Hermione! He's not going to kill you. _

And then he flicked the switch.

Surely I had died…

…and gone to heaven.

It was a library. Expansive. Brightly-lit. Filled to the brim with books of all kinds. The shelves towered up to ten feet. Cushy sofas were scattered along the carpeted floor. A marble fireplace was waiting to be brought to life by the corner. He gestured towards one of the couches. We took a seat facing each other. He looked thoughtful. "I haven't forgotten to show this to you, have I?"

"You have."

He shrugged. "Now you know. You're welcome to use it any time. Merlin knows the books could use a bit of reading."

"I never knew you loved to read." I noted, momentarily dazed by the sheer volume of novels. _I could spend forever in here. _

He smirked. "There's a lot of things you don't know about me." His eyes were glinting, almost – challenging.

_Do you want me to find out then? _I almost asked. I cleared my throat. "I wanted to talk about Scorpius."

His expression turned instantly serious. "He hasn't done something, has he?"

"No!" I said quickly. "I mean, yes he has, but it isn't anything bad."

Draco cocked his head to one side, waiting.

My throat suddenly seemed to close up. _Spit it out Hermione. _I commanded myself as I nervously licked my lips. His words, however, were continuously echoing in my head: _Stay out of matters that doesn't concern you. _Warning bells were already ringing. I could get fired for this. I could lose my job. I would end up begging on the streets or _worse, _end up in the loony bin.

But then Scorpius flashed in my mind. His hopeful face. The fear in his eyes at the thought of rejection. The sheer lack of knowledge about what he truly is. It was painful to watch.

"If you're going to tell me that this _Liam _bloke has impregnated you then -- "

I barely noticed the irritation in his tone at the utterance of Liam's name because my mouth was already moving on its own accord. Before I knew what was happening the words had escaped me: "Scorpius can do magic."

I had expected shock.

I had even expected a little dismay.

But I never expected him to be completely and utterly calm.

His next words blew me away: "I know."

The silence that had followed those two simple words was deafening beyond measure. It was as if I had been hit by a _Stunning _Spell and could no longer move. I was frozen on spot. My eyes searched his. They were flickering with something unfathomable. There were secrets there. Repression. _Why. Why. WHY._

"You're not leaving until I give you answers." A statement. Not a question.

I nodded my affirmation.

He loosened his tie. He sighed, leaning back on his seat. He appeared to be having an inner battle. I could almost imagine him thinking: _Do I tell her? Do I not? _Or what I feared: _It's none of her fucking business. You could fire her on the spot for disobeying your orders._

"Do you remember my father, Hermione?"

_Kind of hard to forget him when HE'S HANGING RIGHT BESIDE THE GUEST BEDROOM. _

"Yes."

"Vile man, wasn't he?" Draco's face remained completely calm. Yet his tone was made of acid. "I grew up believing every single thing that he taught me: that friends were made to be minions, that money bought happiness, and that power was the most vital thing in the world. He made me what I am."

I stayed silent, a part of me wanting to know more and the other, frightened of what else he had left to reveal.

"But I didn't hate him. Do you find that strange, Hermione? He was the reason why I almost killed Dumbledore. Voldemort reminded me with constant threats of their deaths if I did not obey. But I couldn't do it. Taking away someone's life was a lot more complicated than I thought. And if there was one thing that Voldemort was good at, it was keeping his promises. My parents were killed that very night. I had as good as murdered them with my own two hands.

"Do you understand now, Hermione? Why I simply could not tell Scorpius?"

_NO. No, I don't understand!_

He was waiting for a reply. "If you're worried that he's going to turn out like you -- " I began, since this is what I deduced it to be. However, I was severely cut off by a tight grasp on my wrist. I stared at him, startled. His eyes were blazing. I gulped. It seemed that my deductions were wrong.

"_Never _that. I am _not _raising him to be a Death Eater, if that is what you believe."

"N – no. I – Scorpius is a good kid." I defended. "I would never think that of him. I simply assumed -- "

He dropped his grip on me. "You assumed wrong."

"I apologize."

"Apology accepted."

Flame distinguished. Draco reverted to his calmer state. My heartbeat began to slow. _Stop being so nervous! _I inwardly said. Everything was going to be fine. Silence had once again claimed its presence. I gathered my courage. "Then why, Draco." I asked softly.

Draco raised his eyes to look at me. And for the first time in my entire life, I saw his pain.

"I don't want him to be ashamed of me."

* * *

A/N: Review please. Because your reviews give me inspiration.


	9. Chapter 9

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 9

If you told me that I would be having an earnest-to-god heart-to-heart talk with the great Draco Malfoy, I would have rolled on the floor laughing. And trust me, that _rarely _happens. The last time that it did, was when Harry told us of his unfortunate incident at the Burrow: walking in on Molly Weasley butt-naked. The look on his face! Red with embarrassment. He lost his appetite all together. It was a good thing that Mrs. Weasley didn't notice him, as she had her back turned. But nevertheless, the story had me falling to the ground with tears in my eyes.

But here I was, sitting in Malfoy's library without any urge to laugh at all. In fact, I felt like crying. And no doofus, not because I was sad – well, I _was_, but I was sad for Draco and not really for myself.

"Don't look at me like that." He said with a sufficient glare.

I glared back. I was in no means looking at him like anything! I harrumphed. "Like what?"

"Like you just stepped on a stray dog's tail and you have the sudden impulse to adopt him." He described.

"What an accurate description." I said sarcastically. He raised an eyebrow. I dropped the tone. "You don't really have to be ashamed of yourself." He sighed. A long-suffering sigh of exasperation. I acquiesced. "Okay, so maybe you do. But you've redeemed yourself, haven't you? That ought to be enough."

"Enough? For a four-year old?" He snorted. "Kids that age look up to superheroes. They expect their father to be no less than superman. I bet Potter's kids are all over him." He said the last part silently, almost to himself. I heard it, of course, having mastered the art of eavesdropping.

"Harry doesn't have any kids." I informed quietly.

"He doesn't?" Draco asked sitting up straight. "Why not?"

"Why the sudden interest?" I asked, holding back the sarcasm. He shot me a look. "_Fine. _No need to murder me with your gaze -- " He let out a satisfied smirk. "Harry just hasn't found the right one yet."

"Or maybe," Draco suggested. "He's _gay_."

"Maybe you're gay, the way you're so freaking interested in him!" I fired back. _Oh great. I did NOT just call him gay. Goodbye job. It was nice knowing you. I suppose I'll become a bum now, what ever that is._

Draco burst out laughing. "You're a bizarre creature aren't you?"

"Again with the accurate descriptions." I said with a sigh. "We're going off topic here Malfoy – err, _Draco_. Look. There's a simple solution to your problem: TALK TO SCORPIUS. There's no need to bring up the past as of the moment. He's far too young to understand any of the important details anyway. I suggest sharing with him some of your better memories, of your life at home and at Hogwarts. There has to be a few, now would there?"

Draco was quiet.

_Oh please, let there be some._ I pleaded to an invisible being.

He nodded. "Alright. I'll talk to him."

I blinked, relieved. "Really?"

"It's going to be difficult."

I was confused. "Why would it be?"

A stretch of concern enveloped him. "We don't exactly have a normal relationship."

_Gee, I wonder why._

"Care to elaborate?" I said instead.

"We don't talk much."

_Obviously. _

"And?"

"We're far from affectionate."

_He gets that from you, yes?_

"Oh bollocks. I have no idea what to say to him."

_Ah. And whose fault is --_

"Will you help me?"

_WHAT?_

He stared at me beseechingly. Damn those irresistible puppy-dog eyes. Damn them straight to hell.

…

Five minutes later, we were walking down the upstairs hallway towards Scorpius Malfoy's bedroom. I motioned casually at the portrait of his younger self. "He looks a lot like you. You could have been twins."

"That, my dear, is how strong the Malfoy genes are." Draco commented with a flourish. He glanced at me and paused mid-step. I suppose I had that "look" on my face. I cursed myself for being such an open book. He shook his head slowly. "I know what you're thinking Granger. And no, I'm not going to tell you. Tis a story for another day." He said with another one of his annoying smirks.

"Can't blame a girl for wondering." I muttered under my breath, stalking off towards the farthest door in the hall. _Man-whore. _I couldn't help thinking. Alright, alright. I had not right to judge him. But that little comment made by his only son during my first day in LA was enough to let the description stick. _'If it's the kind of work that doesn't need talking, you can just leave.'_

"Sorry didn't catch that." Draco said rushing after me.

"Nothing!" I chirped. "We're here. Go ahead."

Draco didn't move.

I gave him a small nudge. "What are you waiting for?"

"He might already be asleep." He mumbled.

I frowned. "I don't think so."

He began to fidget.

I rolled my eyes and pushed open the door. Scorpius was sitting on the floor with one of his toy airplanes. He looked up when the door opened. His eyes went wide. He slowly put the toy down and bit his lip worriedly.

"Scorpius." Draco stated awkwardly.

"Go." I hissed, all but shoving him in. He glared at me but went in anyway. I firmly shut the door behind them, hoping that everything will turn out fine. Because Merlin knew that Scorpius needed his father.

* * *

A/N: So, I've finished a couple of chapters already. I do hope you review.


	10. Chapter 10

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Oh my! Thank you for all the reviews!

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 10

The morning after The Talk was work day. A new shipment of furniture had arrived which meant more work for me and less play. And by play, I meant snooping around the house looking for any signs of The Talk. I had woken up early, taken a shower, went to the dining room (it was empty), went to the kitchen (the maids told me that Malfoy and Malfoy Jr. had not come down for breakfast yet), passed through Malfoy's office (he wasn't there) and sat, with a bit of disappointment, behind my desk.

I briefly wondered if Draco would revert back to being my boss and no longer my – my…_what? Confidante? Friend? _I decided to settle with the latter. _Hmm. _Friends with Draco Malfoy. Who would have thought? For reasons unknown, I felt slightly warm and fuzzy at the thought.

Stranger things have happened.

I did not come out of the office until lunchtime. I reentered the dining room. Annabelle was setting a place for one. Specifically, for me. Only for me. I had been hoping to see them both there. Maybe with bright smiles and affectionate hugs. An image of Draco hugging Scorpius flitted through my mind. I winced. I couldn't imagine him hugging _anyone_. "Um, Annabelle. Do you have any idea where the two might be?"

"Oh they went out for lunch, ma'am."

"Ah. That explains it. Thank you."

I ate my lunch quickly, feeling better that things were going well. I went back to my office afterward and was able to get a lot of my work done. I was laying down the finishing touches when a knock sounded on my door.

"Come in." I called out distractedly, knowing it was Annabelle. I had asked her to bring me water earlier that afternoon. However, when I looked up, I saw Draco standing right in front of me. Without waiting for an invitation, he took a seat. I felt a bit miffed. It was _my _office after all. Never mind that it was his house. Or that he was my boss.

"You seem awfully chipper today." I observed, scrawling the last of my calculations on a legal pad.

"I have something for you."

My head snapped up. "Why?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Most girls would usually ask 'what'."

"I'm not most girls." I automatically replied. Not that it mattered. Since the girls that he meant were obviously girls that he dated. And I was _obviously_ not one of those. Not that I wouldn't _want _to date him since he was awfully good-looking and charming and – _fuck. The LA sun has gotten to your brain, Hermione. You've sucked in enough UV rays to make you think crazy things._

He thrust towards me a rectangular box. It was wrapped. "You actually took time to wrap it?" I asked dubiously.

He rolled his eyes. "Of course not. The store wrapped it for me."

Of course.

I tore it open and found…a Muggle device. "What on earth is this?"

"It's a _Tablet._"

"Do I swallow it?"

"Merlin woman! I thought you were Muggle-born!"

"I was kidding." _Moron. _I resisted the urge to add. Of course I knew what a _Tablet _was. It was good for downloading _e-books. _You could store hundreds in it and have the complete luxury of reading them anytime, anyplace. I had wanted one the minute it had been released.

"I knew you're a certified bookworm but I didn't know what kind you liked, thus the _Tablet._"

Despite myself, I was touched. "You didn't really have to get me anything." _Wait. This isn't his payment wasn't it? Because that wasn't really part of the contract. My salary as an Arithmancer may not be that small but I needed Galleons to survive! Good god._

"It's a thank you gift." He said with a noncommittal shrug. "For you know, last night."

"Wow. Thank you. I mean, that's very sweet of you."

He cleared his throat. "Anyway, Scorpius and I were wondering whether you wanted to join for a trip to the mall this afternoon?"

"The mall?" I asked skeptically. "Most people would go to the park with their kids. Or the zoo."

He shot me a superior look. "We're not most people."

…

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself."

_Ah. The obvious has finally shone through your incredibly thick skull. _I tried to feign an expression of surprise. Scorpius was the only reason why I decided to tag along. Alright, so it was also the _Tablet _that made me tag along…and perhaps Draco's astonishing ability to actually be both generous and sweet at the same time.

"Fail." Draco pointed at my face. "Don't even try to lie."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. I admit it. Shopping is not something that I'm particularly fond of. Oh I could withstand for a half hour or so but never, never for more than two godforsaken hours!" I said this all very fast and made certain that it was out of Scorpius's hearing range. (He was looking at a computer a few meters ahead.) "I have never seen a _man _this obsessed with shopping!" I accentuated the last statement with arms flailing.

I suppose Draco had the right to appear miffed. "I am _not _obsessed. Is it so wrong for a man to care about his appearance?"

I snorted. "It's called _vanity_, Draco."

"Fine then. What would you suggest we do?"

I thought. I thought really hard. Now, what would a man who was vain as Narcissus himself and a boy as curious as the very first cat would want to do on a sunny afternoon?

"Look Father! It's Merlin!" Scorpius shouted pointing at a stuffed toy.

I cracked a smile. "Santa Monica."

"Santa Monica?" Draco echoed. "Why, of all places, would want to go there?"

"I meant the _real _Santa Monica."

…

Santa Monica was approximately 33 kilometers from Malibu (our starting point). The _real _Santa Monica wasn't so difficult to find. It took only a single phone call to one Dean Thomas (who currently resided there) to locate the exceedingly normal brick building somewhere near the Woodlawn Memorial. The three of us stood in front of it with varying degrees of interest.

Scorpius looked bored. "This building is closed. I could see cobwebs." He yawned.

Draco fidgeted beside me. "I don't think this is such a good idea."

I looked at him in surprise. "But you agreed!"

"We also _agreed _not to give my son a full view of my past." He hissed.

"Good gracious, Draco. This is Santa Monica! It's a million miles away from London. Do you really think there might be anyone there who knows you? And if there was, I doubt they would be firing insults in your direction. You've redeemed yourself, have you not?"

"That isn't exactly public knowledge, _Hermione._"

I sighed. "Your decision. I just thought Scorpius would love this place."

At the sound of his name, Scorpius turned to me. "I don't think I would. It looks _boring. _I'm already _bored._"

"How can you be bored? You're four!" I said giving him a gentle push towards the brick wall.

"Alright, alright." Draco surrendered. "Go on."

"Go _where_?" Scorpius demanded. "It's CLOSED."

"Just watch." I tapped my wand on the wall three times. And before anyone could blink, the bricks began to move, giving us passage to a whole new world in the middle of California. "Welcome to one of the most relaxing Wizarding communities in America."

…

"We deliver mail through Owl Post. Owls are very intelligent. They're good with directions and can be very fast fliers. They're punctual too." I explained to Scorpius. We were standing in front of _Creature Feature. _He was stroking the feathers of a handsome brown eagle owl.

"May I have one, father?" Scorpius asked. "Please?"

Draco took one look at his son's pleading gaze and surrendered. "Oh alright. But we can't use him to deliver mail. My clients might suffer a heart attack. Birds delivering mails." Draco shook his head. He told the sales clerk to reserve the owl and that they'll be back for it in a while. Scorpius ran off to the next shop in view: a candy store.

"Spiffing. A miniature Draco Malfoy."

Draco stiffened. I whirled around to locate the owner of the unfamiliar voice. It was a woman. Strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes. A stick-thin figure and a cigarette in one hand. She was dressed to kill in blood-red stiletto heels. _And who are you_? I wanted to ask. There was something familiar about her. Perhaps she went to Hogwarts? She was most definitely not from here, her British accent betraying her.

"Astoria." Draco's tone was ice-cold.

_Astoria? Astoria who? _I ran the name through my mind. _Was there an Astoria back in Hogwarts? Year older or year younger? _

"And who is this?" Astoria drawled, her eyes raking over my figure making me instantly feel like I had grown blubber all over my body. Irritation crawled onto my skin. I bit my lip to keep from scowling. "Your new girlfriend?"

"Well if it isn't Hermione Granger." A new voice exclaimed. A woman in a printed mini-dress. Long nose. Pointed face. Daphne Greengrass. Our year. Slytherin. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Astoria must be her younger sister.

_Ding! Connection successful. _

"Really?" Astoria echoed incredulously. "You seemed like quite the dork back in Hogwarts."

"And I never really noticed you at all." I shot back.

"Don't tell me," Astoria murmured with a slight shake of her head. "That _this _is what you've replaced me with."

_Stop. Freeze. _

_Rewind._

WHAT?

My memory gave an immediate recall of Scorpius's face. His _eyes _in particular. _Whose eyes do you have Scorpius? _I had wondered. My gaze met hers. They were the exact shade. Draco had turned pale beside me. Whether it was from anger or from fear, I did not know. Perhaps it was both, because the next thing that happened, occurred so quickly I barely had enough time to blink.

"Yes." Draco answered, with a voice as smooth as silk it would have converted a thief into a nun. I almost believed it. Especially when his arm snaked around my shoulder and pulled me flush against his side. However…IT WASN'T FUCKING TRUE. _What the hell are you playing at Draco Malfoy? _I wanted to shake his grip off of me. But at the same time, I relished the look of utter shock on Astoria's face.

She raised her chin in the air and gave me one last shriveled look before spitting out: "Good luck with him…_Mudblood_."

My fingers tightened into clenched fists as I watched the two sisters walk away, hips sashaying, heads held high. The perfect picture of arrogance and malice. It made me want to vomit.

Draco withdrew his arm. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He suddenly looked weary. Like he had walked a thousand miles without pause. "I think it's time we head home."

…

"Does Scorpius know?"

The very first question out of my mouth the second we had escaped Santa Monica and found ourselves warmly ensconced in the security of the expansive Malfoy library.

"No."

I waited. This was something that he should tell at his own pace. After all, it was not necessarily any of my business despite the fact that he had dragged me into the center of it during his silent rage at his ex-wife. It made me want to murder him with my own two hands. It also made me want to erase the look of extreme weariness out of his face.

Was I suffering from a split-personality? I think not. I think…I was starting to have a soft spot for Draco Malfoy. _Damn._

"Astoria…" He trailed off and sighed. "She never wanted any children. Scorpius was an accident. He happened somewhere in between our arranged marriage." His tone grew bitter. "After our parents were killed in the War, all deals were off. She immediately filed for a divorce after Scorpius was delivered. She never wanted to see me or Scorpius ever again. I agreed." Draco shook his head. "She was a bitch. That one. Scorpius is lucky to never have known her."

"He never asks?" I wondered out loud. How lonely it must be: growing up without a mother.

"He does. I've told him the truth. I don't want him to grow up waiting for a mother that wasn't going to come home. He knows her by name but has never seen her…and I plan on keeping it that way."

I nodded. Perfectly acceptable.

A heavy silence filled the room. Draco fidgeted and looked up. There was a sheepish smile on his face. "I suppose I owe you an apology."

_Apology?_ Oh. Right. Draco Malfoy with his arm around my shoulders smelling like spearmint and Kenneth Cole_ Black. Oh my Hermione! You aren't supposed to remember how he smelled! _I blinked. "Uh. It's quite alright."

"I acted on impulse." He shook his head. "I'm sorry."

A more comfortable silence came between us.

"So," I began, in an attempt to change the subject. "What time are your friends arriving?"

His head snapped up. He glanced at his watch. "Bloody hell! Look at the time! They're set to arrive in thirty minutes. You're welcome to invite your ehem, _date _along for dinner."

"I think it would be best for us to just eat somewhere else." I stated nervously, unsure of how Liam would take to eating in my boss's house. It would just be – weird.

"Nonsense!" He waved me off dismissively. "You two are eating here. And that's final."

_How kind of you. Damn it._

_

* * *

_A/N: Your thoughts are highly, highly appreciated.


	11. Chapter 11

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 11

My last date had been with a co-worker some eight months ago. His name was Ricky. And no, he did not look like Ricky Martin. Well, maybe he did, after the vehicular accident. It was disastrous, to say the least. After a few glasses of wine, he spilled champagne all over my gorgeous black dress and then had the gall to feel me up several minutes after. I never spoke to him again.

I suppose it was entirely understandable why I was feeling a bit nervous on this particular night. Fortunately, Liam had been all too willing to come over for dinner which left me a bit suspicious. Was he happy that he didn't have to spend a dime on me? Was he happy that he'd have easy access to my bedroom? Or maybe I was just being overdramatic?

Nevertheless, I vowed to look my best. I stood in front of the vanity, applying a touch of makeup to my face. I was dressed in a simple royal blue dress that fell two inches above my knees. I spritzed on a bit of perfume and allowed my hair to rest in waves below my shoulders. I suppose I looked pretty. Not modelesque pretty. But definitely better than the day I looked on the beach.

A door slammed somewhere below and voices emanated throughout the house. It appears that Draco's guests have arrived. _Time to party, Hermione. _I took a deep breath before hopping on downstairs.

"No _way. _Hermione?" `

_No way indeed. _I could have sworn that redhead looked exactly like Ginny Weasley. And was that Blaise Zabini standing next to her looking absolutely dashing? I resisted the urge to pinch myself. "_You're _Draco's house guests?"

"_You're _Draco's Arithmancer?" Ginny echoed my stunned tone. "I can't believe you never told me!"

"And I can't believe you never told me that you're coming _here_!"

Ginny harrumphed. "I thought I would surprise you. But obviously, I'm the one who's being surprised."

"Draco's big on secrets." I rolled my eyes.

Ginny's eyes narrowed at the first name basis. "We'll talk about this later since we're obviously going to be living under the same roof for a while."

"Does Molly even know about this?" I asked incredulously, watching as Blaise slipped his arm easily around Ginny's waist. It was evident that these two were very much in – lust.

"Of course she does!" Ginny exclaimed. "She _adores_ Blaise."

"Everyone adores Blaise!" Blaise chimed in. He winked at me. "Looking good Granger. I can see why Draco hired you."

"I hear my name being said?" Draco announced questioningly, walking into the room. Blaise just laughed. Draco turned to gaze at me. "Where's your date? Dinner's in five minutes."

Funny how three words could instantly garner everyone's attention. Ginny's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. "You have a _date_?" She screeched. "You've been keeping a lot of things from me Hermione Granger!" She accused.

I smiled sheepishly. "I'm sure he'll be here in -- " The doorbell rang. "That must be him.

"Allow _me._" Draco stated gallantly, making a move for the front door. My hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his arm, fixating him in place. He glanced at it and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I'll – I'll do it." I stammered. I cleared my throat and excused myself. I heard Draco mutter something under his breath. But I was too far gone with nerves that I barely caught it. They traipsed into the dining room.

Smoothing my dress to rid it of invisible wrinkles, I pulled open the door. My breath immediately caught at the sight that greeted me. I resisted the urge to swoon. "Good evening Hermione." Came the unmistakable tenor of my date's voice. Flowers were thrust into my grasp. "These are for you."

"Liam. Um, thank you. They're beautiful." I croaked. They were roses. I _hated _roses. They were so incredibly cliché. But I didn't think it would have mattered even if he had given me leaves. I smiled at him. "Please, come in."

…

The first time I had brought a boy over for dinner at my parent's house had been two years ago. His name was Eric and he was a Healer. He was also a Muggle-born which was an added bonus. It was by far the most uncomfortable dinner I've ever had with my parents. They kept bombarding Eric with questions and even more questions. My father would not stop sizing him up. Fortunately enough, Eric handled it all fairly well. He was charming, that one. Such a pity he turned out to be a man-whore.

For some strange reason, the dinner at present was reminding me of that particular event of so long ago. Transform Dad into Draco and my Mum into Blaise and everything was all fine and dandy. If I had an annoying younger sister, she would have been Ginny.

"He's hot." Ginny mouthed at me appreciatively.

_I know right? _I thought, smug.

"So, you're a model." Draco initiated idly. We were halfway through dinner. The first part spent recalling how Liam and I had met and Draco outlining what he did for a living. Liam beamed, pearly-whites in full view.

"Yes, I am."

"Ramp or commercial?" Ginny asked.

"I do a little bit of both." Liam answered. "I was the face of Calvin Klein last year. Perhaps you've seen me?"

"Nope." Draco said, sounding bored.

"I haven't seen Scorpius, mate. Where is he?" Blaise interrupted, looking around curiously.

"Upstairs. Sleeping."

"Your son?" Liam asked.

Draco gave a curt nod.

"And your wife?" Liam asked. His eyes were sparkling with interest.

"Non-existent." Draco announced with a wave of his hand.

"We're kind of tired. Jet lag and all. Would it be alright if we skipped dessert and went ahead?" Blaise said, stifling a yawn. They indeed looked tired. But I knew for a fact that sleep would be the last thing on their agenda that night. Ginny winked at me and gestured silently towards Liam. I felt myself turn pink.

"I'll show you your rooms." Draco said, standing. He glanced at me. "You two will be alright?"

"We'll manage." I quipped.

Nanoseconds after everyone had left, we were practically tearing each other's clothes off. Blame it on my utter datelessness, the stress of being an Arithmancer, or blame it on the pure fact that Liam was absolutely yummy, from head to toe.

"Your room?" He growled in my ear.

I murmured my assent. I grabbed his hand and pulled him upstairs, tiptoeing quietly through the hallway. Voices could be heard at the opposite hall where the guest rooms were located. I giggled, feeling like a naughty schoolgirl going against her parents' wishes. I pushed Liam into my bedroom and shut the door behind me without bothering to lock it. It wasn't like we were going to be interrupted. I was sure of that. Scorpius was asleep. Ginny and Blaise would be doing their own dirty business. And Draco would most probably just hit the sack upon finding the dining room empty.

Somewhere between snogging and pulling each other's clothes off, we had tumbled onto the bed with Liam on top of me. And somewhere between pulling Liam's jeans off, the door was heard clicking open. We both froze, our heads turning to the left where the door could be found. Draco was standing there, appearing quite unruffled at our half-naked state.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were still here." He said pointedly at Liam. He looked at me. "I was going to ask you if you wanted some dessert. But apparently, you're quite – busy." _Flash. Was that disappointment, I just saw? _I blinked. He was smirking. I must have been imagining things. "I'll leave now."

_Wait! _I wanted to call out for some reason.

But Liam beat me to it. "Wait!"

Draco stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow at him. I could feel my own eyebrows raising as well. Liam? What?

Liam was grinning. That heart-melting grin that could charm any woman out of her knickers. But this time, it was directed at Draco.

"Do you want to join us?"

I felt my eyes go wide. _WHAT? _

"What?" Draco choked. If the situation was not so embarrassing, I would have laughed at the look of complete shock on Draco's face. His face seemed to drain of color and he was, for the first time, utterly speechless.

Liam shrugged. "It's no big deal. I've already slept with a guy before. I'm sure Hermione wouldn't mind." He glanced at me. "Would you?"

_I knew it. I knew this had been too good to be true. Merlin, kill me now._

* * *

A/N: Will try to update every other two days. But only if you review! ;)


	12. Chapter 12

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: As promised, here is the next chapter!

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 12

I woke up the next morning feeling like fucking shit. The events of the previous night came crashing into me like an enormous dump truck relieving itself of its malodorous garbage. When had I begun feeling like the luckiest girl in the world into feeling like the expendable fat guy in some B-list move? Oh right. When Liam announced that he was _bi. _I groaned into my pillow. After that enlightening revelation, I had promptly kicked him out of the bedroom, Draco Malfoy included. Don't get this the wrong way, I had nothing against bisexual people or even homosexual people for that matter. I just preferred my men straight, plain and simple. What made matters worse was the fact that _he _had been there to see my humiliating downfall and had even played a small part in it.

I had half a mind to pack up all my things and head straight back to London.

There was a knock on my door.

"Come in!" I called out, my voice slightly muffled by the pillow.

Ginny poked her head into my bedroom. "Good morning sunshine!" She flopped onto my bed and pulled off the pillow from my face. She peered carefully at me and frowned. "Oh my. Where on earth is the post-coital bliss I have been expecting?" She gasped. "He didn't sleep with _you_? He isn't some prude waiting for marriage, now is he?"

"Worse."

"He broke your heart?" Ginny asked sympathetically.

With great reluctance, I relived the gruesome tale that was last night. By the end of it, Ginny was near tears with laughter. Which was _not_, I tell you, what I would have liked to hear. I wanted sympathy! I wanted advise! Pity would have even been acceptable. But noooo, she had find this _amusing._ I glared at her. "It's not funny!"

"Oh please 'Mione. It is the funniest thing since Ron lost to an arm-wrestling match with Millicent Bulstrode." She dabbed at her face with the edge of the blanket. "What I would have paid to see the look on Malfoy's face! It must have been priceless!"

I cracked a smile. "It was."

She stood, half-pulling me into a sitting position. "It's pool day today! You and I are going tanning. The boys are waiting in the backyard. Try to look your best, now would you? We don't want you looking pitiful because a guy decided that Malfoy was a lot more delicious than you are."

"_Excuse me? _Liam never chose between us! He simply asked Draco if he wanted to join."

"You should have let him, you know."

I practically choked on my own spit.

"I mean, who would want two extremely hot guys getting it on with you in this very bad?" She gestured dreamily on the one we were sitting on. I wanted to burn the sheets instantly.

"You, Ginny Weasley, are ridiculous." I shook my head before heading into the shower.

…

"Hermione!"

A little blonde blur came running towards me. Make that a dripping little blonde blur. Scorpius skidded to a stop mere inches from my legs. Droplets of water splattered on my white pants. I could not hold back a smile. How could I when this seemingly aristocratic four-year old had transformed into a normal four year-old in a matter of days. "Did you go for a swim?"

"Obviously!"

Ah yes. The sarcasm never did seem to disappear from any Malfoy.

"Do you want to join me?"

I glanced at the pool with the gleaming tiles, the bubbling Jacuzzi, and the spurting fountain. And then my gaze landed on a*GASP* half-naked man climbing out of the steel ladder. _Ah. No wonder Ginny is so in lust with him. _For BlaiseZabini had perfect abs and his olive-toned skin was enough to make any woman want to run their fingers all over…

"I know what you're thinking." Ginny whispered, materializing beside me. "How I wish I had given into that threesome last night…"

_What? _

It seemed that I have been saying that a lot in my head lately. Makes you wonder whether or not I was in dire need of a psychiatrist. But it all dawned on me when the next half-naked man began to make his way out of the pool. My breath momentarily caught in my throat. _So this is what Draco Malfoy looks like wet. Hmm. I could get used to a sight like this. _Oh damn Hermione. You really DO need to see a psychiatrist. Because in no way was it appropriate to drool at the sight of Draco Malfoy's body. He was not as well-built as Blaise but his leanness made him seem so much more alluring. He was _designed _to be a Seeker. To be agile and…flexible. He was a bit tanner to. Gone was the abhorrent pallor of his Hogwarts years.

"Oh my." I found myself blurting.

"Enjoying the show?"

His voice shook me out of my reverie. The two Slytherins were now wiping themselves dry with a towel. Both pulled on clean, dry clothes. I scowled. (Not because they had put on clothes, you idiot!) But because of his snarky comment. "I think not. I _think _it was _Liam _who enjoyed the show."

_Jackpot!_

Draco turned bright red.

"Well I'll be, this is the first time I've ever seen him blush." Blaise said with a low whistle.

"Shut up." Draco grumbled. "Let's eat. I'm starving."

Breakfast was composed of waffles, bacon, eggs, strawberries, croissants, buttered toast, lemon squares and a dash of bickering on the side. It was more or less enjoyable. Until I realized that I needed to go back to work. I needed to keep reminding myself that I was on vacation but on a business trip and that I had less than a week left before I wrapped everything up and presented it to my boss who also happened to be the owner of this house and who also happened to have a –

" – sexual tension between the two of you." Ginny spoke in my ear. I had been so busy concentrating on my schedule for the day that I had not caught the first part of her sentence. I could have sworn she meant Draco and I. But that would have been completely absurd. "I'm impressed that the two of you haven't jumped each other's bones yet."

So she did mean the two of us.

"Ginny. You are once again being completely ridiculous." I hissed back at her, hoping that the two males (who were promptly engaged in their own conversation) could not hear. "He's my _boss _for Godric's sake. And I, for the life of me, cannot even fathom why there would be 'sexual tension' in the first place."

"Oh come off it Hermione. He's this single guy and you're this single girl and you're both living under the same roof. It helps that you used to be former archenemies. Doesn't that just add a little bit of spark to the fire? You snap at each other _all _the time. Even a blind man could sense the magnetism between the two of you."

Trust Ginny to bring a blind man into the picture.

"I honestly do not know what you are talking about." I said, wiping my mouth with a napkin. I prepared to stand. "This has been lovely but I have to get to work. Thank you for breakfast. I will see you later today. Blaise, Draco." I nodded at them.

"Seriously?" Blaise asked dubiously. "You're making her work on a Saturday morning?"

"Nobody's making her." Draco drawled lazily. "That's just the way she is. Ms. Workaholic 2010."

"Harhar. Very funny." I said. "Now if you'll excuse me."

"Can I spend some time with you later Hermione?" Scorpius asked hopefully.

I softened. "Of course sweetie. Any time at all. Just come knocking at my office and I'll take a break for you." I ruffled his hair affectionately. Honestly, that kid was growing on me. I was slightly worried what might happen when I left. I might get _sad. _

Bollocks.

…

Scorpius had impeccable timing. He came knocking around two in the afternoon. Milliseconds after I had stood to leave. I was not surprised to find Draco's office empty. He was, without a doubt, 'catching up' with Blaise. And it _was _a sunny Saturday afternoon. I was, once again, struck with a brilliant idea.

"How would you like a trip to the beach?" I asked. Scorpius nodded vehemently, running off to pack his bag. As I went to do the same, I found Ginny sitting alone in the living room, reading a magazine. It appeared that the boys had gone out for a while. And yes, she would love to come with us to the beach.

"I hope I don't run into Liam." I said as we pulled into the parking lot. Ginny laughed. I shuddered. "That would be awkward. " I watched Scorpius run towards the sand. "Be careful!" I yelled after him.

We settled ourselves at my usual spot. Right. As if I had a 'usual'. "Ahhh, this is the life." Ginny said with a moan of pleasure. "I could get used to this."

"So could I." I murmured.

She raised an eyebrow. "You could, you know. If only you dared."

"Are you implying that I make a move on Draco?"

Of course that was what she was implying.

"I never make the first move."

She grinned mischievously. "So that means you're not closed to anything that _might _happen."

I opened my mouth. Then closed it.

Ginny smiled triumphantly. "I knew it! It is simply too impossible that you would not be attracted to Malfoy."

"Just because he's good-looking doesn't make me attracted to him." I defended.

I have long since known that impishness on a Weasley's face never meant a good thing. I groaned when she said: "We'll see about that."

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A/N: Review please!


	13. Chapter 13

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 13

"K - kwid – kwid..." Scorpius frowned in deep concentration as he struggled to form the correct word. We were sitting in the living room discussing our favorite topic. I didn't bother soundproofing the room. Let the maids think we're crazy. Blaise and Ginny had gone out for the night and Draco was locked up in his office.

"Quidditch." I enunciated clearly.

Scorpius sighed dramatically. "I can never get it right!"

"You're doing better." I complimented, patting him on the shoulder.

He cast his eyes heavenward. "This Christmas, I'm asking Santa for a broom: A Firebolt 3000!"

My lips twitched into a smile. "You write to Santa?"

He nodded vehemently. "He never fails to give me what I want."

_Hmm, good to know that his father has enough heart to cater to Muggle traditions such as this. _I briefly wondered if he went all the way with the red and white costume and a sack full of gifts. _That's stretching it a bit too far. _Draco could make any gift appear under the tree with a flick of his wand.

A door slammed so loudly that both Scorpius and I jumped. Draco stalked past us hissing heatedly into his phone. "_I _told _you to double-check his signature you bloody moron. I have half a mind to fire you this instant - " _He disappeared outside the front door without a cursory glance in our direction.

Scorpius was staring at his hands.

"Are you alright?" I asked softly.

"He does that a lot when he's mad." He answered.

_He curses in front of his son? _Not exactly a trait that a father should possess. But who was I to tell him off?

"You don't think he'll do anything stupid, don't you?" I asked, more to myself than to Scorpius. For a second, I found myself slightly worried. He was bordering on furious, after all. Who knew what a raging Draco Malfoy could do on a Saturday night? Drive into a wall? Drink himself into a stupor?

"He'll be back." Scorpius said without so much as a blink. "But he won't be alone."

_He won't be alone? _Cue the confusion please.

'_If it's the kind of work that doesn't involve talking, I think you should just leave._'

Scorpius's own words. Now I knew what he meant.

I felt anger bubble up within me. _No Hermione. Now is not the time. You have a four-year old sitting right next to you. _I drew in deep, calming breaths. Scorpius had permanently fixated his gaze on the floor. His earlier fervor had dissipated and there was nothing left but a sort of loneliness that shouldn't even be seen on someone so young. Without much thought, I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him with all my heart. That was when he began to cry.

"It's okay sweetie, it's okay." I soothed. In my head, I was already planning on the multiple ways in which I could murder Draco Malfoy.

…

He came back two hours later. Luckily, Scorpius had gone out like a light the second I had tucked him in bed. I was waiting in the living room. He flinched at the brightness of his home and peered at me underneath his shielding hands. Behind him was a wafer-thin blonde dressed in a skimpy pink dress. She looked like Barbie. After she lost her job and decided to sell her body to the Kens of the world. "Hermione?" He asked hoarsely. I could immediately tell that he had been drinking. "What are you doing?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that question?" I asked, keeping my temper in check. I needed to remind myself that I was in his territory and that I, for the love of Merlin, was _working _for him. I had not despised my job more than I did at that moment.

"What are you talking about?" He asked with a frown.

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Very cryptic, Granger." He muttered, annoyance flecking his tone. I could not help but notice his abrupt change to calling me by my last name. Suddenly, I didn't seem to care anymore. About my job. About the careful way I had been living my life. I had to tell him.

"I have to tell you."

"Spit it out Granger. I don't have all night."

"I have to tell you," I said calmly. "That you are being a complete asshole to your son."

Dead silence.

"You have a son?" Barbie asked, her bleached eyebrows rising in astonishment.

"Get out."

For a moment there, I thought he was speaking to me.

But then he thrust a couple dollar bills into the slut's chest and glared at her acidly. She ran as fast her cigarette-heels could carry her.

"_Silencio." _Draco hissed, rendering the entire room soundproof. I was surprised. It was the first time I've seen him use magic here. I didn't even know that he carried his wand with him. Which made me remember that mine was sitting in my bedroom upstairs. I eyed his wand anxiously. He wouldn't hurt me, now would he? Because that would really just affirm all my assumptions about him: that he was a cold-hearted bastard who didn't give a damn about anyone but himself.

But he pocketed it. And I cursed myself for being so paranoid.

"Have I not," he said, walking dangerously close to where I was standing. "Made it clear that you do not meddle in the affairs of my family?"

I raised my chin and looked him straight in the eye. "You told me that you didn't want your son to be ashamed of you." I chose my words carefully. "But what you're doing…cursing in front of him, bringing a different woman home once a week. Tell me, _Draco_, is that any cause to be proud of?" And I simply could not stop. "You left him in _tears_. You may not know it, but your actions are hurting him. You may be present physically, but emotionally? He's got no one. It pains him enough that he doesn't have a mother but a father who doesn't seem to give a _damn_?" I shook my head in disappointment. "I congratulate you. Because you've made it. You've made him deeply, deeply ashamed of you."

His eyes were blazing heat. I almost expected him to hit me. But he didn't. Instead, he laughed. A bitter laugh that could make the happiest man alive frown in resentment. The derision, however, did not seem to be directed at me. In fact, it seemed to be direct at…himself.

"Good god, Granger. There was certainly a reason why you were the brightest witch of our age." He kicked an oriental vase onto the floor. It shattered into a thousand, tiny pieces.

I flinched.

"Why?" He shook me. It was not painful but it wasn't gentle either. His gaze bore into mine. "Why do you always have to be fucking right?"

"_Finite Incantatem!" _ Someone whispered.

Draco immediately dropped his hands. I stumbled several steps backward. Blaise and Ginny stood by the front door, eyes wide with disbelief. Both had their wands out. Blaise was staring at the shattered vase. Ginny's gaze was locked on Draco. "What is going on here?"

"Nothing." I supplied, without a glance in his direction. "We were just talking."

"_Reparo._" Blaise murmured, pointing at the vase. It immediately repaired itself, appearing perfectly untouched.

"Have to be up early tomorrow morning." Draco muttered vacantly. "G'night."

We watched him disappear upstairs.

"I'll go check on him." Blaise volunteered.

I sighed. "I'll do it."

"Are you sure because I - " Blaise began uncertainly. Ginny stopped him. "Let her."

I nodded at them. "Don't worry. It's nothing."

I followed Draco's retreating shadow. I felt a bit confused when he went past his bedroom and continued on down the hallway, past the guest bedrooms, his son's room, my room, and pushed open the doors that led – to a balcony. I didn't even know there was a balcony.

I faltered by the door. He was leaning against the balustrade, head tilted up to the sky. To a stranger, he might appear to be praying to God. Asking for a miracle. But I knew that God was the last thing in his mind. His quiet voice startled me. "This is where I come to think."

I took a step towards him. "I could see why."

He half-turned his head towards me. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

I shook my head.

He faced himself skyward again. "Have you ever felt like turning back time?"

_Oh I've done it before. Used that Time Turner that Dumbledore gave me. _But I didn't think that would be the answer he was looking for. So instead I said: "All the time."

"I've seen the way Scorpius acts around you." There was no judgment in his tone. He was calling out the facts as they were. "He has never treated anyone that way…Not even me."

_Harsh words. _

"You did well yesterday."

"I ruined it today."

"There's still tomorrow."

He cracked a smile. "I suppose there is."

A breeze blew by. I shivered.

"Are you cold?"

"I'm fine."

"Nonsense." And before I knew what was happening, he was putting his jacket over me. We found ourselves in the same position that we had been in mere minutes before. Only this time, there was no anger, there was no astonishment, there was only – _what Hermione? What do you call that? That way he's looking at you…_

My head instinctively tilted upwards.

And then he looked away. "It's getting late."

I bit my lip feeling a wave of…_disappointment? Impossible. Why on earth would I feel disappointed? It wasn't like anything was going to happen. _But as he walked away after saying a brief goodnight, that small part of me just could not help but wonder…

…

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A/N: REVIEW?


	14. Chapter 14

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Hello wonderful reviewers! We are nearing the end. ;)

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 14

I awakened the next morning by the shrill ringing of my phone. I blearily glanced at the clock: _6:15 AM_. My hand absently searched for my ringing mobile. Who on earth could be calling at this ungodly hour? The Ministry? Because calls that come this early rarely turn out to be good news. Paranoia kicked in. Oh god. Malfoy has fired me. The Ministry must be calling to get my ass back to London. _You've killed your career Hermione. This is the end of it. Might as well self-destruct before the humiliation sets in. _

The call turned out to be a bittersweet one. Yes, it was the Ministry. No, I was not fired. But yes, I needed to get to London _ASAP. _Apparently, my father had gotten into a car accident and was currently in the Intensive Care Unit at our local hospital. My heart just about stopped beating when they gave me the news. _But_, yes there was a but, it was nothing to be worried about as it was something that could be cured with a specific Healing Potion and several Healing Spells. I just needed to convince my Mum that magic _can _make my Dad better.

I packed my things with a swish of my wand, all the while formulating an explanation in my head. After a quick shower, I thundered downstairs in search of any living human being. I was somewhat surprised to find Annabelle already setting up breakfast.

She eyed my suitcases curiously. "Are you leaving Ms. Granger?"

"Yes, I am. Is anyone up yet?"

"Oh yes. Mr. Malfoy has taken his cup of tea into the backyard."

"Thank you."

I dashed outside. My father may be in stable condition, but one could never be certain. I found Draco sitting at one of the rattan chairs. And beside him, lo and behold, was Scorpius. I paused for a moment and watched. It was like a family TV sitcom. The prodigal father and his son. Ironic, eh?

"You're really going to buy me a broom?"

"Not just any broom. A Firebolt 3000."

I held back a snort. Trust Draco to get back to his son's good graces through material gifts.

"Will you teach me how to fly?"

Draco put down his cup of tea and slung an arm around his son. "I suppose you'll have to learn from the best. And well, I suppose I _am _the best." He teased.

Scorpius giggled happily.

Draco cocked his head to one side and looked at his son carefully. "So you forgive me?"

"Of course I do Daddy."

I exhaled. That was the first time I had ever heard Scorpius call him that. It had always been 'Father'. I glanced at my watch: _7:05 AM. _My flight left at exactly 8. I needed to jet. I approached the duo and cleared my throat. They whirled around to face me. "Good morning."

"Good morning Hermione!" Scorpius chirped. "We're going to Santa Monica today. Do you want to come?"

"Yes, Hermione." Draco agreed, his eyes sparkling. "Do come."

I bit my lip. "Um, I can't."

Draco arched an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"I have to go back to London."

"WHAT?"

A girlish screech. And no, it did not come from Draco. It came from somewhere behind me. I deduced it to be Ginny. I didn't bother turning around. Instead, I continued on with my explanation. I waited with bated breath for his reply. "Is he alright?"

Well, that certainly wasn't what I had been expecting.

"Hopefully." I replied. "I just need to get down there as soon as possible."

"Oh my god, Hermione." Ginny said rushing over to hug me. "Kiss them both for me. Tell them I send my love."

I nodded. "Of course." I turned to Draco. "Are you sure you'll be fine without me here?"

He released a long-suffering sigh. "I suppose I'll have to make do with second-best."

I cracked a smile. "I'm sure you'll survive."

He cleared his throat and stood up. "Well, good luck then. My regards to your family." He stuck his hand out for me to shake. I took it. Ginny was muttering something under her breath. I looked at her questioningly. She rolled her eyes and waved me off.

"Charles will bring you to the airport. Call if you need anything."

"Thank you, Draco." I said sincerely. "This has been an – interesting stay."

He smirked. "It was my pleasure."

I turned to the last person I wanted to say goodbye to. He was the perfect picture of a boy trying to look strong in the midst of hardship. A few tears managed to escape, however. "I can't believe you're leaving already." He said sadly. I hugged him. "I'll miss you sweetie."

"I'll miss you too Hermione."

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A/N: Short, I know. Review please?


	15. Chapter 15

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 15

I found my Mum in the waiting room gazing blankly at yesterday's paper. I touched her lightly on the shoulder. She jumped. "Oh Hermione." And before I could even utter a word, she was sobbing relentlessly into my shoulder. I willed my tear ducts to stop working. Finally, she released me. "I missed you. My, have you gotten a tan?" Yes, the tears haven't even dried. Mothers always did seem to have a flight of ideas.

"Mum, we need to get dad to you-know-where."

Her lips tightened. "No."

My parents had always been supportive of me since the day that letter from Hogwarts arrived via Owl Post. But ever since the War, ever since I had to warn them of the dangers and the possibilities…they had grown wary. I didn't blame them, of course. Magic was something they would never be able to understand. And although I respected their desire to distance themselves from the Wizarding World, a part of me wished they could share it with me.

"Do you want him to die then?" I blurted out. I did not mean for it to come out that way. Neither did I mean to sound so angry. But my anxiety level was nowhere near average and I haven't _seen _my father for quite a long time already. I was not prepared to lose him.

A fresh wave of tears assaulted my mother. "How dare you say that?" She asked, sniffing. "The doctors say he has very good prognosis."

"I've spoken with the doctor Mum," I told her. "He may be stable right now but a _Myocardial Infarction _could occur at any given time of the day. We can't risk that."

"They're monitoring him 24/7." She insisted. "They won't let anything happen."

"But what if it does?" I pleaded. "Come on Mum, if you just trust me, he could be home with us in just a few days."

I handed her a handkerchief. She blew on it noisily. Watery lifted to mine. "Really?"

"Yes." I promised.

Her shoulders slumped. "Alright." She conceded hesitantly. "Alright."

…

"I must admit, this place is awfully cozy." My mum grudgingly told me once we had settled into a private room in St. Mungo's. It was the exact opposite of the ICU. It was devoid of any hospital equipment. Which meant that my father was no longer hooked to the numerous life-support machines that he had earlier been attached to. The walls were a pale yellow and there were flowers sitting by the windowsill. We had a clear view of a green meadow which my mother thought was incredibly lovely. I decided not to tell her that the windows were enchanted.

A Healer wandered in dressed in powder-blue robes. He was carrying a flask filled with translucent white liquid. My mother eyed it suspiciously. "May I ask what that is?"

The Healer smiled. "A Calming Draught, ma'am. It'll make him feel better."

'It's fine.' I mouthed at my mother. With our help, we were able to get my father to swallow the contents of the flask. He coughed a few times but didn't open his eyes. The color had somewhat returned to his cheeks. I could tell that he was on his way to a fast recovery.

The Healer was muttering spells under his breath and was waving his wand cephalocaudially on my father's body. After a few seconds, the tip of his wand glowed green. He sent us another friendly smile. "He's responding well. He'll probably be up and about by tomorrow. If he does, you can have him home by the day after tomorrow."

Relief welled over me. That was good news. Good news indeed.

…

Convincing my mother to spend the night at home had been a difficult task. She was adamant about staying beside my father until he woke up. But if the bags underneath her eyes were any indication, she wasn't getting any proper rest at all. It was only when I reminded her that Sally (our eighty-year old neighbor who had volunteered to look after our house _and _cat) was beginning to show signs of Alzheimer's and might not only forget to feed Dapple (the cat) but might neglect to lock our house at night.

That, of course, was enough to put my mother into a severe state of panic. But she did not leave without the select few reminders:

"Don't forget to call me if your father shows any changes."

"Yes Mum."

"Tell him that I love him."

"Yes Mum."

"Inform me of any medical updates."

"Yes Mum."

"And do take a bath."

_Sigh. _"Yes Mum."

Before the door could even close behind her, I had already passed out on the couch. I awoke the following morning to the sound of soft knocking. I glanced at my father, he was breathing soundly. I went to see who was at the door. It was an errand boy. An errand boy carrying a bouquet of pink tulips.

"Ms. Hermione Granger?"

"That's me."

"These are for you."

"Um, thank you."

He tipped his hat in acknowledgement before leaving. The sweet smell wafted into the room. They were artfully arranged and wrapped in silver paper. I could tell they were the expensive kind. A small white card was attached at the stem. Curious and excited, I plucked it open.

_Hermione,_

_A token of appreciation for all your help._

_Draco_

This left me confused. Why the need to send me flowers? I found that there was a post-script.

_P.S. I'll be there in exactly five minutes._

My immediate thought was not _WHY_. What immediately came into my mind was this: _OH MY GOD. I haven't even taken a bath yet. I haven't even changed out of my travel clothes! My hair must be an extreme mess. The horror. The horror. _

I bee-lined for the bathroom, muttering a glamour spells along the way. I grabbed the small satchel of clothes on the table and changed into something cleaner. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, zapped a couple of zits and _voila. _Nope. I did not look great. But I definitely looked better.

Before I could transfer to the more critical question at hand, a knock resounded on the door. My palms began to sweat. I could actually _feel _butterflies flitting around in my stomach and the worst part of it was, I didn't understand why.

_You know why. _

The all-knowing voice in my head whispered. I pushed it away. I needed to see a shrink after this entire ordeal. The Los Angeles sun had definitely affected my brain.

I pulled open the door.

"Surprised to see me?"

_Try shocked._

"Come in."

He did. "How's he doing?"

"Better."

"That's good to hear."

Silence.

I took this opportunity to survey his stature. He was dressed casually in jeans and a white button-down shirt. Both of his hands were shoved in his pockets. He was looking everywhere but at me.

_He's keeping something from me._

I cleared my throat. "Care to explain why you're here?"

He was staring at the window when he said: "I couldn't get you out of my head."

I was floored. Flabbergasted. Bewildered.

"Wha – what?" I sputtered.

"It all started when you came to me about Scorpius." He said slowly, his eyes firmly fixated on the illusion of the meadow. "You changed him. You changed me...It was only when you had to leave that I realized - " He looked at me. My heartbeat instantaneously accelerated. "That I could never find another woman like you."

His palm came to rest on my cheek. It was cold as ice. "It would be quite foolish of me to just let you walk away."

_And it would be quite foolish of you, Hermione Granger, to say no._

But this was huge. This was Draco _Malfoy. _I had only known him for a week. He was still this unfathomable mass that a part of me, couldn't trust. _He could break your heart in a nanosecond. _

Which was why I stepped away. "Don't."

His palm was left hanging mid-air. It was now his turn to be surprised.

"I'm sorry Draco." I said, my voice trembling slightly. "But I don't think I'm ready for this."

He nodded.

Silence.

And then _bam! _There goes the trademark smirk. "I'll leave you alone – for the meantime." His smirk broadened. "You should know by now that Malfoys never take 'no' for an answer."

…

My father showed the first signs of consciousness when my mother arrived around lunchtime. He flexed his knees as if preparing to stand. We rushed to his side. When his eyes fluttered open, my mother once again dissolved in tears. This time, I joined her. "Welcome back to the real world." I greeted him with a watery smile.

The Healer checked him, moving joints here and there, examining his neurological status and asking him repetitive questions. My father passed the tests with flying colors and we were informed that we could have him home by the end of the day.

My mother was ecstatic. She decided to leave my dad alone with me once more to prepare the house for his arrival. You would think that he had been gone for a century. But my mum was like that. Orderly. Neat. Sort of like me.

"How was LA?" My father asked me. He was sitting up on his bed, slurping on some homemade chicken soup. He looked stronger than ever.

"Fine."

"That's all you can say about it?" He asked dubiously.

I fell silent.

He looked at me curiously. There was an odd twinkle in his eye. "This doesn't have anything to do with your visitor this morning, now does it?"

I blinked. "How do you know about that?"

He flashed me a knowing smile and shrugged. "Strange as it may sound, but I could hear you."

I was horrified. He heard everything. I voiced this out.

"Hey, you can't blame me for overhearing. I was supposed to be 'unconscious' remember?"

He had a point.

"If it's worth anything, he sounds like a keeper."

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A/N: Ah yes. I shall be posting the final chapter soon. REVIEW!


	16. Chapter 16

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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**Here Comes The Sun**

Chapter 16

I decided to spend a few days with my family in Muggle London before returning to work. The Ministry of Magic had been kind enough to put me on leave of absence. They congratulated me for a job well done, stating clearly that the 'client' had been most satisfied with my performance. I snorted. _Of course he would say something like that. _

Speaking of which, he had sent me a few, shall we say, _gifts_, during the past three days. Here is a list of the following:

_1. An original painting by __**Pablo Picasso **__(Les noces de Pierrette)_

_2. Tickets to my favorite Broadway show (The Phantom of the Opera)_

_3. More flowers (Hydrangea) _

_4. A bottle of champagne (Dom Perignon Rose)_

_5. Perfume (Hermes Perfume Faubourg)_

It wasn't that I didn't appreciate these gifts because I did. The painting was hanging on my bedroom wall, the flowers in a vase in the living room, the Cristal consumed by my parents and the perfume spritzed on by moi before going to watch the Show with Mum.

But I still deemed his mission of 'win-Hermione's-affection' an epic fail. He should know by now that I wasn't the type of girl to swoon over expensive gifts. And how did I respond? A simple _Thank You_ in a piece of card. I suppose he had gotten the hint because one morning, I opened the door to see Malfoy.

However, it wasn't the Malfoy I had been expecting.

"Scorpius?" I asked in disbelief. He was alone. "Where's your father? He didn't just _leave _you here?"

Scorpius appeared miffed. "I'm old enough to be left alone. He had something else to do."

"Of course you are." _And of course he had something else to do. _Not that I was disappointed, or anything. "Come in, sweetie. My parents would love to meet you."

My parents indeed adored him. Rarely do you meet an intelligent four-year old with impeccable manners. While my Mum bustled off to make lunch, Scorpius took this time to poke me in the ribs.

"_Ow!" _I shrieked. That was the first time he had done something so incredibly – _childish. _"What was that for?"

"For not agreeing to go out with Daddy!" He crossed his arms across his chest in an act of sheer defiance. I could already tell which House in Hogwarts this little devil was going to end up in.

"You _want_ me to go out with Draco?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes. I will not speak to you until you do so."

_Genius. Absolute fucking genius._

I sighed. "How could I refuse?"

…

I was reading a novel in my old bedroom upstairs when my mother called me. "Hermione! You have a guest!"

I felt my pulse quicken. It had been four days since I last saw him. And that had been at St. Mungo's. Not once in those four days did he try to make any sort of contact with me (opting instead to send his son to do all the dirty work.) Not that I had _wanted _him to. _You can keep telling yourself that Hermione, but we all know what you _really _want. _

My expectations died down when I found the least of them standing on my doorstep.

"_Blaise_?"

"The one and only."

I peered behind him half-expecting to see Ginny hovering around. But she was nowhere to be seen. Our street remained dimly-lit and there was not a single soul in sight.

"Isn't it a little late for you to be wandering around?" I asked.

"It's only six."

I sighed. I had a bad feeling about this. "So, would you mind telling me what you're doing here?"

"Being a faithful minion." Blaise replied with a mischievous smirk. He offered me his arm. "Shall we?"

"_What?_ You can't expect me to just walk out of here and follow you to god knows where, right?"

"That is _exactly _what I'm expecting! Merlin, you _are_ bright!"

I resisted the urge to groan. "You're not leaving until I agree, are you?"

He nodded, grinning.

"Mum! I'm going out! I'll call you!"

I didn't bother waiting for a reply. I shut the door behind me and took Blaise's proffered arm. With a swish of his wand, we Disapparated.

We were standing in front of a fifteen-story building. It appeared to be a condominium.

"Follow me." Blaise instructed. I did as ordered. We took the elevator. He pressed the button for the roof-deck. _Great, a midnight dinner on the roof. How incredibly original. _

"What is it with the sarcasm?" Blaise asked lightly.

"Did I just say that out loud?"

"Yes you did. And you don't have to worry about originality. Draco Malfoy knows how to be original. Trust me on this one."

"Since when do I trust Slytherins?"

"Touché."

The elevator _dinged. _The doors slid open. Blaise made no move to step outside. "This is my stop. Enjoy your night Hermione." He grinned. "And do please give my boy a chance. He's mad about you."

Before I could reply, the elevator doors slid close and I was left standing alone on the roof.

"He's quite right, you know."

I jumped, startled, spinning around to face him. I was somewhat suspicious to find that the deck was entirely – bare. No table. No candles. Not even a picnic blanket. There was only him, standing in the center, dressed in his usual designer clothing with his designer smile.

"I am quite mad about you. Stark raving, in fact."

I cursed the butterflies in my stomach for reappearing. They weren't supposed to be there.

"So, this is where we're supposed to have our date." I mused. "Very romantic. You've outdone yourself, Draco."

"You underestimate me."

He brandished his wand and whispered something under his breath. I heard a _wooshing _sound and frantically looked around to search for the source of it. I blinked when I saw a Firebolt 3000 appear out of nowhere. "Scorpius lent it to me." He smirked. "Now, shall we?"

I gulped. The nerves were kicking in. Not because of any fear of flying because I was not afraid of heights in the least. I didn't even care that I had no idea as to where he was going to take me. What I was nervous about was this:

I climbed on behind him and seeing nowhere else to place my hands, gingerly placed them over his hips. I could practically _feel _him smirking. He cast a quick invisibility charm over the two of us and without further ado, we were airborne.

And going at a rather fast rate.

"_Damn it Draco, do you want to get us killed?_" I yelled.

"_Just trust me."_

I swallowed. _Why indeed, Hermione? Why don't you trust him? Because he sleeps with a different woman on a regular basis? Because you've seen how he acts when he's angry? Or simply because, he could break your heart? But what's the point of falling in love if you aren't prepared to take the risk? It's attached to love. Love does not exist without risk. And happiness, I'm afraid, can't exist without love._

Curse the voice in my head for always, _always_, being right.

We landed smoothly on grassy lawns. I looked around curiously. I knew this place. Regent's Park. Primrose Hill. It was one of the highest points in the city. I gasped at the breathtaking scenery. It seemed that Draco had picked the perfect place.

"Oh my! Is that an eclipse?"

"I believe it is."

We both gazed at the moon with unabashed awe. I had been so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn't even noticed it when we were in flight. A star was glinting right behind it. It was truly an amazing sight.

"Magnificent."

I felt his gaze on me. And I had a feeling that he didn't mean the moon this time. He brushed away a stray strand of hair. My knees began to turn to jelly. He was looking me in _that _way again. Like I was the only one he could see. Like I was the only who mattered.

_Just trust me._

Could I really?

"May I?" He asked, his head dipping lower. This time, I did not refuse. His lips touched mine. They were soft. And soon, I learned, quite delicious. Especially when his tongue introduced itself to mine. The kiss was a gentle one. It was not driven by lust. But it was most definitely fueled by passion. I was being dizzied up by desire. And that strange, unknown emotion that I have been refusing to acknowledge for the past four days.

_You're falling for him, Hermione. Admit it. You are._

When we broke apart, we were both gasping for air.

"Are you hungry?" Draco asked, his lips twitching into a smile. His eyes were glimmering with joy.

I could not help it. I smiled back. "Starved."

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A/N: I was going to leave it there...but, since you were all so kind, a small epilogue will be posted soon. :)


	17. Epilogue

Summary: Hermione Granger, Arithmancer extraordinaire, is sent to America to handle the business dealings of a successful wizard. What she expected to be a boring business trip turns out to be quite the opposite.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Decided to keep it short and sweet ;)

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**Here Comes The Sun**

Epilogue

I squinted at the sun. They were glaring without pause. I stretched languidly. A cool breeze ruffled my curls. I suppressed a yawn and took a sip from my frozen iced tea. It was a perfect day to be at the beach. Los Angeles was definitely growing on me. I watched the waves crash against the shoreline. A small boy with pale blonde hair was sitting twelve feet away building the sand castle of his dreams. He lifted a hand and waved. I waved back.

_This is the life._

Three girls in skimpy white bikinis paused mid-stroll to stare at a man walking towards my direction. He was the epitome of perfection. Tall, blonde, chiseled, and dripping saltwater from a fresh swim. He had a smile that could melt the entire North Pole. The girls giggled behind their hands, batting their eyelashes in flirtation. He took no notice of them. He continued on his path, and towards his destination.

Which just happened to be me.

"Hello gorgeous." He said huskily, planting a sensual kiss on my lips.

"Those girls are staring." I said in between his kisses.

"Let them." He replied. "They know we look good together."

"Do we?" I asked playfully.

"Everyone knows that two people in love look perfect together."

And that was when I realized that, even though I didn't weigh less than a hundred pounds and my teeth were far from excellent, Draco Malfoy loved me. And _that_, was simply reason enough.

_Fin_

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_A/N: And so it ends. A tremendous thank you to all those who have supported this fic and have taken their time to review! I deeply, deeply appreciate it. Perhaps...one last review? :) _  
_


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